JUNIOR ENGLISH 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


BY 

ALICE B. MACDONALD 

* - it 

PRINCIPAL OF ROWLAND HALL, SALT LAKE CITY 
FORMERLY TEACHER IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF LAWRENCE, MASS 



BENJ. H. SANBORN & CO. 

CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTON 


D irections for using junior Eng¬ 
lish will be found on pp. x and xi of 
Book One, and more fully on pp. 33-36 of this 
Manual, Junior English is not to be taught 
page by page, but in such units of assignment 
from each part of the book ( composition , oral 
and written, enunciation, spelling, grammar) as 
will best meet the needs of the 
class week by week. 


©C1A705505 


Copyright, 1923 

By BENJ. H. SANBORN & CO. 


MAY -9 '23 



pa 


JUNIOK ENGLISH 

MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 



AIMS AND STANDARDS 

Free 

expression 

The first aim of any course in the study of English 
expression should be to encourage a child to give 
free expression to his own ideas. These ideas should 
be founded on the child’s own interests, but these 
interests should be so motivated as to make their 
growth upward and outward seem worth while; that 
is, to result in worth-while compositions, either oral 
or written, expressing his own impulses, desires, 
hopes, questions, problems, interests, affairs. Like¬ 
wise, the child, soon learning that he is not in a 
world existing wholly for himself, should shape his 
composition so as to make proper reactions upon his 
associates in the world about him. 

Conscious 
guidance 
and control 

The second aim, equally important, should be to 
put the child in the way of consciously guiding and 
controlling the expression of his motivated ideas. 
Free expression should neither mean mere volubility 
or garrulity, nor should it be satisfied with false 
articulation or slovenly language. Furthermore the 
ideas to which free expression is given should not 
forever remain in the limbo of childish ideals. Con¬ 
scious guidance and control would lead the child 
out of this confused, restrained territory into upper 
regions, where new ideas would find free expression 
in new words and sentences. 

1 


2 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Summary 


How 

children 

learn 


This 

textbook 


The need 
of motivation 


Motivation 
in subjects 
of themes 


To summarize briefly, free expression is abso¬ 
lutely dependent upon motivation; but free expres¬ 
sion should be under conscious guidance and control. 

There are two methods by which children learn: 

1. Predominantly by imitation. 

2. By instruction directly or in¬ 

directly administered. 

This textbook has tried to make use of these two 
methods of education: 

First, by offering all sorts of models, examples of 
how a thing may be done, and by suggesting as a 
further aid to imitation, the socialized recitation. 

Second, by presenting exercises which may actually 
be used or which may suggest others or supplement 
the regular work. By this means the teachers will 
be aided in the instruction which she either directly 
or indirectly administers. 

A proper understanding of the term motivation as 
it is applied to our work in English expression would 
perhaps settle the problem of getting desired results. 
What should a child talk about ? Why does he need 
to talk? Why does he need to write? The answer 
is found in the desire of the human mind to make 
known its needs, its desires, its interests. In other 
words, children as well as 1 ‘ grown-ups ’’ seek inter¬ 
course. They are sociable, communicative beings. 
Add to this interrelation of interests, the desire to 
possess something, a desire which is particularly 
outspoken in children, and we are able to supply 
motives for spoken or written language. 

The proper understanding of motivation on the 
part of the teacher would do away with this ever- 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


3 


Textbook 

subjects 


Subjects of 
immediate 
;personal 
interest 


The teacher 
and the 
textbook in 
motivation 


lasting quest for “good subjects.” Good subjects? 
Pink and blue sunsets or sunrises, big fires, last 
winter’s snowstorm, and other stock subjects upon 
which children have been allowed to expend their 
energies are efforts, pure and simple, to please the 
teaclner , who presumably likes color or atmosphere. 
The teacher in giving such themes for written work 
has thought of subjects rather than of motives. 

A textbook does ill to offer subjects, and it does 
so only in base truckling to teachers who want them. 
Such subjects are not harmful, perhaps, if the 
teacher will insist that they shall not be used unless 
they come within the immediate personal interest of 
the pupils. They are mere suggestions, of the kind 
of thing that is of interest to human life. What 
shall children talk and write about? The common 
everyday things that interest them. For whom 
shall they make their compositions, either spoken or 
written? Not for their teachers, but for their peers. 
Why should they speak or write ? Because without 
expression, possession is impossible. Back of the 
high ideal, then, of beauty of expression is the 
utilitarian one of ultimate need, and in the motivat¬ 
ing of the expression of ideas this need must be 
taken into consideration. 

While motivating the work of free expression, it 
should not be forgotten that conscious guidance and 
control are also necessary. Mere babbling, childish 
volubility, while having the advantage of spontane¬ 
ity and lack of self-consciousness will lead nowhere 
if not curbed and trained. And this is where the 
teacher and the textbook come in, come they in ever 
so “unbeknownst” to the children. Motivation con¬ 
cerns the motives, the desires, the interests of the 


4 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


The 

socialized 

recitation 


How it is 
done 


Example of 

socialized 

recitation 


children. Cultivation concerns the proper growth 
of ideas and of the language, the medium of ex¬ 
change, by means of which these motives, desires, 
interests are communicated. The child having de¬ 
cided what he wants to talk about, and seeing the 
ultimate need of communication, is guided by proper 
models, by drills, by stimulated endeavor to say 
what he has to say in proper form. He becomes 
able to give conscious guidance and control to the 
expression of his own emotions. 

Every one has felt, when he has watched children 
at play by themselves, that there is a tremendous 
gap between playground or -room and classroom. 
What has become of the free expression there dis¬ 
played? This need of bridging the gap has led 
to the so-called socialized recitation. In such a 
recitation the children are no more conscious of the 
teacher than is the horse of its driver. The teacher 
holds a firm rein when necessary, lets it hang loosely 
when possible, pulls the rein when the way turns. 
She has in mind the ultimate ideal, just as the driver 
has in mind the place to which he is driving. The 
horse knows nothing of the place, he does not see 
his driver, but he feels consciously the guidance and 
control of the rein. 

In the socialized recitation the pupils do the talk¬ 
ing, they are not even called upon by the teacher. 
As in a Quaker meeting, when the spirit moves some 
one speaks on a subject. Others stand to ask ques¬ 
tions or to offer critical comments; each is recognized 
by the speaker in the order of his priority. 

Following is a stenographic report of a socialized 
recitation in a seventh grade, Oliver School, Law¬ 
rence, Mass.: 


Stenographic 
report of 
“socialized 
recitation” 
in English 
composition 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 5 

Oral Compositions 

CANDY INSTEAD OF PORK CHOPS 

Mother sent me on an errand to buy some pork chops 
for her. I met a friend of mine in the Common eating 
candy. I talked with him for quite a while and forgot that 
mother sent me to buy some pork chops. I felt the money 
in my pocket and dashed immediately to a nearby store. 
Mother did not get the pork chops that day. I was sorry, 
you may be sure, when I got home that I did not do 
mother’s errand instead of my own. 

Criticisms: 

Pupil: Colombo, you said, “I felt some money in 
my pocket and I dashed to the nearest store.” I 
didn’t understand what you bought. 

Pupil: Colombo, you began nearly all your sen¬ 
tences with “I.” Try to choose better words next 
time. We are trying now to begin each sentence 
with a different word. 

ALMOST MELTING 

One half of our room was having a spelling contest 
against the other half, and I had to stand near a radiator. 
The radiator was so warm that I thought I was going to 
melt. Of course, it happened that I was a good “speller” 
that day and I stood up with my side for a long time. 
Finally, I misspelled a word and had to sit down. I was 
pleased to be able to leave the radiator, but not for mis¬ 
spelling the word. It is a good thing we are not made of 
wax, or probably I wouldn’t be here now. 

Criticisms: 

Pupil: Your story was personal, interesting, and 
you stuck to the point. 

Pupil: Manuel, I think everybody liked your 
story, for I saw a smile on everybody’s face. 

HURRY UP, RAILROAD COMPANY! 

When I used to ride on my old bicycle, I used to think 
I had a great machine, but now that I know there is a 


6 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


new one coming from Chicago I don’t care to ride on my 
old one any more. My new one will be red, with shining 
silver handlebars. I don’t know just what its speed will 
be, but I hope the chain won’t get stuck every once in a 
while like my old one does. Every time I think of that 
new bicycle, I say to myself, “Hurry Up, Railroad Com¬ 
pany!” 

Criticisms: 

Pupil: I liked your title very much because it 
was odd. 

Pupil: Simon, I suppose you’re sorry because the 
railroad can’t hear you. 


The oral 
and the 
written 
theme 


THE SONG COMPOSER 

I was making up a little song all my own. It was 
foolish and silly, hut still it was my own and I felt proud 
of it. It was no great song and you will never hear it, 
but I hope thati some day when you pick up a piece to play 
on the piano you will see written at the bottom, or in some 
more conspicuous place, “Composed by Sam Meier.” 

Criticisms: 

Pupil: I liked your last sentence very much, be¬ 
cause I didn’t expect it to end that way. 

Pupil: Samuel, I hope you will be a great mu¬ 
sician some day. 

Pupil: I didn’t notice any mistakes in your Eng¬ 
lish, Samuel. 

In a world where we speak far more than we 
write, the language with which we clothe our ideas 
orally should receive a predominating amount of 
attention. It is not enough that a child shall deliver 
his formal oral theme to the class. In some way the 
speaking, in school and out, should be coordinated. 
It is discouraging indeed to the teacher, to have 
little Johnny who has just delivered his “story” 
without grammatical error, come to her desk and 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


7 


Exercises 
as aids 


Precedence 
of the oral 
theme 


The written 
theme 


say, “I ain’t got no pencil.” Of course the error 
only shows the tremendously evil and compelling in¬ 
fluences Johnny’s outside environment has upon his 
ordinary speech. But one of the teacher’s problems 
will be to stimulate the child to control his speech 
out of school and in his ordinary conversations as 
well as in his formal oral themes. 

In this book will be found all sorts of exercises 
for aiding the teacher and likewise the pupils in this 
work of control. Constant reiteration of proper 
sounds, the urge of emulation, the lead of the ulti¬ 
mate motive, together with the critical observation 
of their own and others’ speech will all be means to 
the end of conscious guidance and control. 

In the formal delivery of themes or compositions, 
whichever term is preferable, the oral should precede 
the written , and this for several reasons: 

1. Because the need is greater. 

2. Because it gives a chance for motivation and 

control in a socialized recitation. 

3. Because of the preparation that is thus given 

for ensuing written work based upon class 
discussion. 

A “short” written theme once a week, a “long” 
one, when the time arrives for such work, once a 
month, with “oral” themes going on all the time, 
might be a fair proportion in assigning theme work. 
The written theme should be carefully done, with 
due attention to spacing and endorsing. In content, 
it should include motivated ideas already given in 
oral themes. In style, it should observe whatever 
constructive criticisms have been made in class. Such 


8 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


The use of 
the model 


The model 
as used in 
this hook 


details as capitalization, spelling, and punctuation 
should be connected wholly with the written theme , 
and should grow in their use with the growth of the 
ideas expressed. Careless and slovenly writing should 
not be allowed any more than careless or slovenly 
speech. 

As we have said before, a child learns predomi¬ 
nantly by imitation. Even in his unguarded moments 
he is imitating something or somebody. That is the 
way he learns. He began to talk, not because he 
was consciously taught to do so, but because he 
either consciously or unconsciously imitated the 
sounds he heard about him, especially the sounds 
that succeeded in gaining possession of desired 
things, such as food and drink. 

In all his efforts at communication, in school or 
out, he is either consciously or unconsciously imitat¬ 
ing the language of others. He uses the language that 
he hears about him — cultivated, if he is constantly 
with cultivated people ; uncultivated, if he is more or 
less intimate with uncultivated people. Thus, objects 
of imitation, worthy or unworthy, are constantly be¬ 
ing presented. 

The model as used in this book means the definite 
literary form as presented either by the teacher orally, 
or in an excerpt from literature. The word literary 
is misleading, however, if it is thought to mean that 
the end in view is the conscious imitating of mere 
style. That is not what it should mean in this con¬ 
nection. The model should be used in motivated 
work to give guidance and control; to show the chil¬ 
dren how other people have given expression to a 
project which they had in mind, and which they 
wanted to “get over” to somebody else. 


Practical 
use of the 
model — sev¬ 
enth and 
eighth grades 


\ 


Telling a 
story — 
the teacher 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 9 

In the seventh and eighth grades the model should 
be used only in the slightest degree. 

We will say: 

1. That the teacher is aiming to get a mastery of 
the sentence idea as bounded by the capital and end- 
mark; to encourage the expression of simple ideas; 
to restrain the tendency to “run on”; 

2. That in order to accomplish this aim she is re¬ 
stricting the length of the theme, either oral or 
written, to the limits of a brief paragraph, say four or 
five sentences; and 

3. That she is limiting her subjects to the fol¬ 
lowing : 

Things that I see. 

Things that I do. 

Things that I think. 

Things that I hear. 

She could dp nothing better than to tell a story 
herself, which the children may use as a model. For 
example, she says to her class, “Let us tell some of 
the experiences we have had, and Ill begin.” She 
then tells them the following story: 

A fat little kitten came purring about my feet as I was 
waiting for the school door to open. I fed him with some 
of my luncheon, and he ate it greedily. He purred loudly 
with happiness. He must have been a pet kitten strayed 
from his home. I hope he found his way back. 

In telling the story she has made the necessary 
strong pauses at periods; she has given only a few 
sentences, and made them simple; she has introduced 
no extraneous matter. She may if she likes ask her 
pupils to name the theme, and the children will 
probably name it “A Stray Kitten” or “A Lost 
Kitten. ’’ 


10 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Models 

from. 

reading 


She then asks for volunteers who will tell a story 
like hers, or she will say, “Come tomorrow with an 
experience of- your own. ’ ’ 

She may arouse the spirit of emulation by asking 
the children to do certain definite things with regard 
to their composition work. The “Who else has a 
story as good as that?” or “Who else can begin his 
story as well as that one began?” form of question 
will arouse the rest of the class to endeavor. And 
once again she has been using a model. 

In the course of the reading used in classes by 
pupils she will constantly run across extracts which 
may be used as models. But never in the seventh 
grade, at least, should she use it for anything more 
than as a suggestion. For example, from Thacke¬ 
ray’s “Rose and the Ring”: 

They had not reached the duck pond, when there came 
toddling up to them such a funny little girl! She had a 
great deal of hair blowing about her chubby little cheeks 
and looked as if she had not been washed or combed for 
ever so long. She wore a ragged bit of a cloak and had 
only one shoe on. 


The model will be useful in showing the children 
how to go to work to describe something. The 
teacher asks questions as follows: 


1. What kind of little girl 
did the Princess Angelica 
and her governess meet? 

2. What was the first 
thing that Angelica noticed 
about her? 

3. What was the next 
thing Angelica noticed? 

4. What word in the first 
sentence did these details 
explain? 


1. A funny little girl. 


2. She noticed something 
about the girl herself, her 
hair, her cheeks, her soiled 
appearance. 

3. She noticed what she 
wore, her cloak, her shoe. 

4. The word funny. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


11 


The teacher may then suggest subjects for an 
oral theme, or have the pupils give subjects, like 
the following. The order to be following in pre¬ 
senting the theme would be: 


1. Where I saw him. 

2. His personal appearance. 

3. What he had on. 


Subjects: 

A cunning little girl 
A mischievous kitten 
An old cart horse 
My pretty little cousin 
A ragged boy 
An untidy child 


A queer-looking man 
A child playing “grown-up” 
A cute little Indian 
A cunning little squaw 
A roly-poly pickaninny 
A pet monkey 


Eighth grade 
stories at 
greater 
length 


Continuing 
the work of 
the previous 
year 


In the eighth grade , if the foundation has been 
properly laid — that is, if the children have been 
taught to distinguish sentences, to stick to their sub¬ 
jects, to begin and end their simple stories well, to 
expand an idea though simply—they may be allowed 
to tell real stories and experiences at greater length 
than formerly. The dramatic instinct is now strong; 
the children are more “knowing/’ they have more 
ideas to express. The “gang” spirit is beginning to 
assert itself, the desire to win the applause of their 
peers is rather stronger than in the previous grade. 

Here the teacher will be careful that her pupils 
do not retrograde. Skilfully she will restrain them 
while at the same time she will allow them to go on. 
At the beginning of the year she will continue the 
work of the previous year in much the same manner 
as then, and gradually lead her class along to the 
place where they may carry out their own desires. 
The same processes will serve her, however, as in 
the seventh grade: 


12 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Model story 


Critical 
comment by 
the children 


1. Telling a story herself as a model. 

2. Arousing a spirit of emulation, the pupil giving 

the model. 

3. Presenting models from books . 

Take the following, for example, which the teacher 
gives as an experience of her own: 


A good road leads up the mountains to where the bare 
rocky height begins, and here a path winds in and out to 
the tiptop of the mountain. 

One day Scottie and I walked up the mountain and 
Scottie, like the watchful dog he is, kept close by me to 
lead the way. 

After sitting on the tiptop for some time I said, “Well, 
Scottie, I suppose we must go home." 

Thinking of course that I would follow, he got up im¬ 
mediately and trotted off. But I got mixed up in the rocks 
and couldn’t find the right path. 

“Scottie,” I cried, “I’m lost.” 

Presently he appeared with a look on his face as if to 
say, “Silly, I thought as long as I led you up, you could 
find the right way down.” 

Keeping one eye on me, he led me by the right path 
to the road. Then he left me, with a wag of his tail as if 
to say, “Now, you simply can’t lose your way, and I must 
hurry along to drive the cows home.” 

The pupil may be trained to comment upon the 
story critically, somewhat as follows: 


1. How did I begin the 
story? 


2. Why did I put in con¬ 
versation? 

3. Did the story close 
well? 


1. You began with a de¬ 
scription of the road lead¬ 
ing up the mountain, be¬ 
cause you wanted to show 
how easy it was to get to 
the top. 

2. You put in the con¬ 
versation to give the story 
“human interest.” 

3. You closed your story 
in the right place, at the 
point where Scottie found it 
safe to leave you once more. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


13 


Illustrative 
theme, 
eighth grade 


The next day pupils will come into class prepared 
to give their own experiences. The following ex¬ 
ample of actual eighth grade work will illustrate 
the point: 

ONE ON ME 

When we were about a mile from our destination, we 
found a road which led off the main one. Thinking that 
it was a short cut, we went along it. After about ten 
minutes’ walking, we came to what seemed to be a forest 
of bushes. Still we went on, I leading, when suddenly I 
sank to my knees into the soft, black mud. I had walked 
into one of the many swamps of the vicinity without know¬ 
ing it. I said that it was one on me, because before we 
started, I had said that I was positive that it would lead 
us to our destination. 

In a socialized recitation, a critic will say, per¬ 
haps : 

“It began like teacher’s, with an explanation about the 
road.” 

. “It ended well.” 

“It didn’t have any conversation.” 

When the boy comes to the writing of the theme 
he will recall these criticisms, revise his ideas, and 
get the following result: 

ONE ON ME 

When we were about a mile from our destination, we 
found a road which led off the main one. 

“This is a short cut,” said I. “Let’s take it.” 

“I don’t believe it is,” answered my chum, “for it 
seems to lead in the wrong direction.” 

I insisted, however, that I knew, so he followed me. 
After about ten minutes’ walking, we came to what seemed 
to be a forest of bushes. Still we went on, I leading and 
saying nothing, when suddenly I sank up to my knees into 
the soft, black mud. I had walked into one of the many 
swamps of the vicinity without knowing it. 

“That’s one on me,” I said as I emerged, dripping, from 
the swamp. 


14 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


The use of 
the model in 
making 
titles, etc. 


The model 
in the 
ninth grade 


The 

adolescent 

need 


The model will be found useful, furthermore, in 
making titles and finding subjects; in showing how 
to punctuate the written theme, in showing how to 
begin and where to end a new paragraph. Such 
questions as these about the paragraph, for instance: 

Why did a new paragraph begin in the story at, 
“Scottie, I’m lost”? At “After sitting, etc.”? 
But the teacher must he warned against laying 
stress on this point, with a possible result that the 
child will begin a new paragraph with every new sen¬ 
tence. He can be shown that a paragraph is made 
at the different parts of a dialogue, and that if his 
story is long, it can be divided at the place which 
shows the turning point in his theme. Generally 
speaking, the themes of the seventh and eighth 
grades, if they begin with a real circumstance and 
end with it, as they ought to do, may well be con¬ 
fined to the limits of one paragraph, except where 
direct conversations are included. Other examples 
will be found in the Exhibits, pp. 45-61. 

It is in the ninth grade that the need of the liter¬ 
ary model will be most peculiarly felt, for in this 
grade what might be termed a “static” condition 
of mind will be observed. Children having satisfied 
their peers, as well perhaps as their teachers, with 
the sort of compositions they have been giving in 
the eighth grade, will go on forever, in the schoolroom, 
giving the same sort of childish experiences, in the 
same sort of childish language, and in the same set 
forms of expression. 

In the ninth grade, there is a psychological, as 
well as a physical, change going on. The child is 
becoming an adolescent, with far more interest in 
what his peers think of him than in what his teacher 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


15 


Hoiv the 
model is used 


The real use 
of the model 


The use of the 
model in the 
“short” theme 


thinks of him. The proper motivation of his work 
would take this change into consideration and would 
offer new models as standards for conscious guidance 
and control. These new models would offer a 
vocabulary suited to growing needs, sentences suited 
to enlarging ideas, paragraphs amplified in scope to 
contain maturing themes, combination of paragraphs 
to continue a theme in its several aspects. 

The model need not be offered for “ sedulous 
aping,” though it will be found that the human way 
of learning by a process of imitation will go on in 
spite of the teacher, and that the resulting themes 
will show more or less conscious imitation. This 
need not cause alarm, however, for it is a truism 
that imitation always results in change. The teacher 
in using the model with her classes directs her 
pupils to notice how others begin their sentences or 
paragraphs or themes, and how they end them; how 
they use details in presenting their ideas; how they 
use words to strengthen or clarify their ideas. 

The real use of the model, therefore, is not for 
the purpose of cultivating “fine” language or of 
adding big words to a vocabulary; but to show that 
the author had an idea which he wanted to “get 
over” to somebody, and that in thus getting it over, 
he used words and sentences and paragraphs to their 
best advantage. The author had certain motives 
impelling him to express himself, certain ends to 
gain. His work thus motivated was given conscious 
guidance and control so that he might by best means 
gain required results. 

The first model to be given to a ninth-grade class 
after perhaps six weeks’ work at the beginning of 
the year was a description of the yellow red-poll 


16 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Pupil’s 

theme 


Title 

criticized 


“ Read-up” 
themes 


Examples 
“read-up” 
themes 


A second 
attempt 


warbler from Burroughs. The model suggested a 
title and a method of procedure for the pupils’ 
themes. Children know all sorts of things about 
birds and animals, but they do not always know how 

to set forth their material in an orderly and progres- 

/ 

sive manner. 


HOW TO TELL AN ORIOLE 

The oriole is a medium-sized yellow bird with a mus¬ 
tard-colored cap on his head. His note is a sweet, loud 
song. His movements are very quick, especially the up 
and down movement of his head. He is also a very swift 
flyer. 

The title given to the theme when it was pre¬ 
sented orally was, “The Oriole.” The class criti¬ 
cized the title, and the written theme bore the title 
given here with the theme. In correcting the writ¬ 
ten theme, the teacher referred to the model to point 
out the use of hyphen and commas, and the rewritten 
theme was corrected accordingly. 

A girl presented the following theme and was 
asked if she had had to “read up” for it. She 
acknowledged that she had, but said that she had 
tried to follow the model. She was encouraged to 
try again. Her new attempt is appended to the 
first. 

HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE OWL 

When you see the owl in the dark, you will see his eyes 
glaring at you. His head is extremely large, his eyes huge 
and directed forward. His bill is short and stout. His 
legs are feathered, the toes four in number. His plumage 
is full and remarkably soft. He makes his nest on the 
ground or among rocks and in the hollow of trees. 

HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE WOODPECKER 

The woodpecker is a medium-sized, brown-colored bird, 
with white breast and a red patch on the top of his head. 


A model 
teaching 
exercise 


Model 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 17 

His movements are very quick, especially when he is run¬ 
ning up and down pecking at the tree for something to eat. 

A boy in the class as a result of the ‘ ‘ read-up’’ 
criticism, said that he had actually seen an owl, and 
gave the following composition to prove that he 
knew something about the subject: 

HOW I KNOW AN OWL 

The owl is a large dark-colored bird, with a curved beak 
and great eyes. His ordinary note is a sharp hoot. His 
movements as he moves from tree to tree are very slow, 
unlike those of the nimble robin. 

Following is what may be called a model teaching 
exercise, offered only as a suggestion. It is difficult 
for a live, resourceful teacher to understand how one 
could be satisfied to use some one else’s questions or 
to get efficient results by doing so. Set questions, 
even when prepared by the teacher herself, will tend 
to stagnation. The teacher’s courage, sympathy, 
and instinctive guidance, augmented by the natural 
development of her socialized recitations, will bring 
about infinitely better results, than any number of 
printed questions, however keen and discerning 
such questions may be. After a while pupils them¬ 
selves will ask discriminating questions. 

That sociablest of flowers, the little Housatonia, was 
very abundant. It is a flower that never lives alone, but 
which loves its own kind, and is always fond of dwelling 
with a great many friends and relatives around it. Some¬ 
times you see a family of them covering a space no bigger 
than the palm of your hand; and sometimes a large com¬ 
munity, whitening a whole tract of pasture, and all keeping 
one another in cheerful heart and life. 

—Hawthorne: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys 


18 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Questions 

(asked by pupils) 

1. What word describes 
Housatonia? 

2. Has the word any¬ 
thing to do with the rest of 
the theme? 

3. How does the second 
sentence help the theme? 

4. In the last sentence 
what helps make the idea 
clear? 

5. What two words in 
the last sentence show the 
sociability of the flower? 

6. What word gives a 
characteristic touch of color? 

7. What words could 
you substitute for commur 
nity? 

8. If you were talking 
about violets, what could 
you use instead of whiten¬ 
ing? 

9. Why is bluing not a 
good word to use? 

10. What expression 
could you use instead? 

11. What expressions 
make the flower seem like a 
person? 

12. What would be some 
good titles to give to the 
theme? 


Answers 

(given by pupils) 

1. The word sociablest. 

2. Yes. The whole 
theme tells how sociable the 
flower is. 

3. The second sentence 
explains what is meant by 
the sociablest of flowers. 

4. Examples from per¬ 
sonal experiences are given 
to make the idea clear. 

5. The words family 
and community show the 
sociability of the flower. 

6. The word whitening. 

7. Group, crowd . settle¬ 
ment, etc. 

8. Purpling , bluing. 


9. Because you think of 
the fluid used in washing. 

10. A splash of blue; or, 
a flash of blue; making blue. 

11. Never lives alone; 
loves its own kind; etc., etc. 

12. A Sociable Flower; 
The Sociablest of Flowers; 
A Flower That Likes Com¬ 
pany; A Flower That Grows 
Abundantly. 


Such questions as these having been asked and 
satisfactorily answered, the teacher asks pupils to 
give similar subjects out of their own experience. 
She then explains how the subjects may be treated 
in the same way as in the model, and asks the pupils 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


19 


Examples 
pupils' 
theme 8 


Variety in 
subjects 


to come in the next day prepared to talk upon the 
subjects. In this oral lesson the class offer neces¬ 
sary corrections or criticisms and the teacher then 
assigns the written theme for the next lesson. 

Following are some examples of pupils’ themes to 
illustrate the point just made. The writers have 
caught some idea of the style, though a bit more 
feebly in the first. They were done at the very 
beginning of the year. Other examples are given 
in the Exhibits, pp. 45-61. 

THE BLUETTE 

The friendliest, and commonest, of flowers, the bluette, 
grows very abundantly. It never lives alone. You can see 
a small patch of them, and sometimes you see a large com¬ 
munity whitening the field. They are very common. If 
you walk through a field or a pasture, you see them 
growing all over the place. 

X 

A FRIENDLY FLOWER 

The friendliest little flower, the daisy, is very plentiful. 
It is a flower that never occupies a space alone, for it loves 
to be near its little friends, and is fond of living in a large 
patch of land. You may sometimes see a colony of them 
nodding their little white heads in the wind, as if greeting 
the time of day with a friendly bow. 

There will be a tendency in using a model for the 
pupil to think he must take a subject treating of the 
same class of objects as in the model. In the above 
model for instance, the pupils would be inclined to 
tell something about a flower which they have seen. 
The teacher, therefore, in giving her instructions 
would need to show her pupils how other objects 
could be treated in the same way. For example, if 
the general subject was a bird. It could be outlined 
something as follows: 


20 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Themes 

xvithout 

models 


1. A statement of fact about the bird to show the gen¬ 
eral characteristics of the bird. 

2. A statement to explain the characteristics more spe¬ 
cifically. 

3. Examples from personal observation to illustrate the 
point. 

Or, if the pupil still wants to take a flower as a 
subject, he may be trained to tell the actual thing 
that he knows about the flower. It may be a rare 
flower; it may be fond of living alone; it may like to 
hide under the damp leaves of spring; it may grow on 
vines; it may like to flaunt its gaudy colors; or to 
dwell by a stone out of sight; or it may be stubborn 
and refuse to grow anywhere but in a hothouse. In 
other words, the model suggests ways of doing 
things, how material may be used, how ideas may be 
gathered and put together. Style of presentation will 
probably be caught, too, but that is a natural human 
instinct, which as we have said before, will finally 
result in change. Following is a good example of 
a theme which is different in subject, and which 
nevertheless has been aided by the model: 

A DELIGHTFUL LITTLE BIRD 

The most delightful of all flyers, the humming bird, is 
a very odd creature. It is the size of two pig nuts put 
together, with a needle-like beak and a tail like a fish. 
There is a crimson patch on its throat and it has wings 
like a fly, only larger. It never roams about without a 
companion, and is very fond of taking the honey from 
flowers or blossoms. 

After the work in the paragraph has proceeded 
in this way for a while, the teacher may give sub¬ 
jects and request themes without models. She will 
now find that one or two in the class, perhaps, can 
stand alone, without the prop of the model, but that 
a large part of Jhe class will return to the primitive. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


21 


This is not the time to be discouraged, however, and 
continued attempts will at last bring about the de¬ 
sired reactions. 


The 

sentence 

sense 


Sentence 
form in the 
ninth grade 


Model 
sentence, 
with 
analysis 


In connection with both oral and written themes, 
much work, both direct and indirect will have been 
done in cultivating the so-called sentence sense. The 
use of the strong pause in oral compositions, and 
proper attention given to periods in written ones, 
will have made the pupils know at least where a 
sentence begins and ends. By the ninth grade, 
however, the persistent use of certain annoying 
expressions, such as misplaced “which ’ 1 clauses, 
“dangling’’ participial phrases, etc., w r ill be ob¬ 
served. And now it will not be dangerous to try 
the experiment of doing some direct work for the 
purpose of getting some sort of style in the form of 
the sentence. In this respect the model will be an 
invaluable aid. An example is given below: 

A few miles from Boston, in Massachusetts, there is a 
deep inlet winding several miles into the interior of the 
country from Charles Bay, and terminating in a thickly 
wooded swamp or morass. — Irving 


Subject: The Course of an Inlet 

1. Its situation. 2. Its course. 3. Its termination. 

Modifying words: few, deep, several, thickly, wooded. 

Name words: miles, Boston, Massachusetts, inlet, in¬ 
terior, country, Charles Bay, swamp, morass. 

Commas: Why is a comma placed before and after the 
phrase in Massachusetts? Why is the comma placed 
before and? 

Having discussed the sentence in some such man¬ 
ner as outlined above, subjects may be suggested by 
teacher and pupils for sentence themes, to be given 
orally and finally to be written. These subjects 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


22 


should of course come within the range of the 
pupil’s own observation. Following is an actual 
example of such imitative work: 


A pupil’s 
theme and 
analysis 


THE COURSE OF A BOULEVARD 

A number of miles from Boston, in Revere, Massachu¬ 
setts, is a long, wide Boulevard covering four miles of land, 
and extending from the densely populated part of the city 
to the almost uninhabitable district on the outskirts of 
the city. 


Name words: miles, Boston, Revere, Massachusetts, 
Boulevard, land, part, city, district, outskirts, number. 

Modifying words: long, unde, four, densely, populated, 
almost, uninhabitable. 

Commas: The comma is placed after Boston, Revere, 
and Massachusetts to separate the parts of the address. 
The comma is placed between long and wide to separate 
descriptive words in a series. The comma is placed before 
and to separate the parts of a compound expression. 

Second This sentence having been given orally and writ- 

SCTIT€jIC6 9 

withandiysis ten > the teac h er may give the next sentence of the 
model, and proceed as before: 


WHAT BORDERS THE INLET 

On one side of this inlet is a beautiful dark grove; on 
the opposite side the land rises abruptly from the water’s 
edge into a high ridge, on which grow a few scattered oaks 
of great age and immense size. — Irving 

Subject: "What Borders the Inlet 

1. On one side. 2. The opposite side 3. Something 
specific about the opposite side. 

Name words: side, inlet, grove, land, water's edge, ridge, 
Oaks, age, size. 

Modifying words: one, this, beautiful, dark, opposite, 
abruptly, high, few, scattered, great, immense. 

Subject for second theme: In the same manner as 
that given in this last model, describe what borders 
the object which you described in your last theme. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


23 


Second 
sentence of 
theme given 
by pupil 
above 


Transition to 
the “long” 
theme 


The unit of 
composition 


The 

tendency to 
“run on” 


A device for 

paragraph 

division 


First 

paragraph 


Second 

paragraph 


WHAT BORDERS THE BOULEVARD 

On one side of this boulevard are the various places of 
amusement; on the opposite side the land slopes downhill 
to a certain point, from which a vast stretch of water be¬ 
gins, and ends, you would imagine, somewhere in the 
clouds. 

Name words: side, boulevard, places, land, point, 
stretch, water, clouds. 

Modifying words: one, various, opposite, downhill, cer¬ 
tain, vast, somewhere. 

Commas: The comma is placed before from and after 
ends to set off the explanatory clause. 


Since the sentence is the unit of the paragraph, 
and the paragraph is the unit of the composition of 
some length, it follows that if the mechanics of a 
sentence and of a paragraph are well understood, 
the transition to the “long” composition — that is, 
the composition of more than one paragraph — will 
be easy. Nevertheless, when bounds are open there 
will be found a tendency to “run on.” The strong 
pause at the end of a paragraph is as important as 
the strong pause at the end of a sentence. A simple 
device for overcoming this tendency follows. 

The time being ripe for such “long” theme work 
the teacher suggests, or has her class suggest, one 
phase of a subject which she has in the back of her 
own mind. For example, “Cats that I have loved 
and lost.” She has a pupil talk upon the subject, 
“A cat that I have loved and lost.” The pupil, as 
usual, searches for a good opening sentence; per¬ 
haps, “Never was a cat so loved as I loved Crinkles.” 
He develops the sentence into the usual oral composi¬ 
tion. When this paragraph has been satisfactorily 
written and delivered, she encourages the pupil to 
tell another story about such a cat. This time she 


24 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Third 

paragraph 


The 

paragraph 

themes 

combined 


The time 
for the 
“long” theme 


The choice 
of a model in 
teaching the 
“long” theme 


may have to help him to make a sentence which 
shall serve as a transition; and his new story will 
open in some such way as, “Another cat which I 
have loved and lost was poor Scamp / 9 A third 
suggestion for a new phase of the subject may begin, 
“My most recent loss was Smut, a beautiful black 
cat with green eyes.” 

By this time the pupil will have discovered that 
he has been giving three stories about the same sub¬ 
ject, and if he should now write it all down, he 
would have a “long” composition consisting of three 
paragraphs, each paragraph showing by opening 
sentence and theme content that it belonged to one 
general and inclusive subject. 

The time for this formal work on the “long” 
theme should be delayed until the last half of the 
ninth year, or at least until a time when the teacher 
feels that her pupils have mastered the sentence and 
the paragraph idea. A “long” theme filled with 
mistakes is an abomination, even though in making 
it an exercise, two or three maturer or more for¬ 
tunate children should succeed in doing it well. 

The terms, unity, coherence, emphasis, need not 
necessarily be used, even in the ninth grade, but the 
teacher in choosing her models should have those 
principles well in mind. The paragraphs of her 
model should have obvious transition sentences, and 
unmistakable signs within showing that they belong 
to the subject. Sentences and paragraphs should 
cohere, and should be so arranged as to bring im¬ 
portant ideas into important places, say at the end 
of sentences, at the end of paragraphs, and at the 
end of the composition. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


25 


The 

■paragraph 
in dialogue 


Sentence 

examples 


The theme 
work of the 
upper grades 
briefly 
summed up 


The 

eighth grade 


The paragraphing of dialogue is a matter by itself 
and may be easily taught at any time in any grade. 
It should be a matter of habit, like the dividing of 
words or sentences. 

Book Two, pp. 34 ff., will be found instructions and 
models illustrating the above method of developing 
the long theme by means of single paragraphs. 

In the seventh grade, the unit of endeavor in 
either oral or written composition will be the para¬ 
graph of four or five sentences. The teacher will 
guide the work in such a way that there shall be 
unity of idea with consequent unity of expression. 
The theme will be a complete unit in itself, a ‘ ‘ theme 
in miniature.’’ In such work as this the pupil will 
unconsciously be getting paragraph form, not by 
dividing his work into paragraphs, but by being led 
to group his thoughts around one central idea, by 
beginning his theme where it ought to begin, by 
ending it where it ought to end. Incidentally he 
will be observing the proprieties of the sentence by 
means of a strong pause at the end of sentences in 
his oral compositions, and by means of capital and 
period in his written compositions. His subjects 
will be motivated, his endeavors will be socialized, 
he will steadily be gaining conscious guidance and 
control. 

The aims and the ends sought in the eighth grade 
will be the same as in the seventh grade. The unit 
of endeavor will still' be the paragraph, or “ short” 
composition. Now, however, the pupil may be guided 
to stretch his paragraph to greater length, not by 
tagging on material, but by expanding the central 
idea by means of repetition, example, illustration, 
contrast, or comparison. While avoiding “fine” 


26 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


The 

ninth grade 


The matter 
of solecisms 


language, the vocabulary may grow. In other words, 
the paragraph is simply maturing with the maturing 
child. 

In the ninth grade, something may be done to 
improve both sentence and paragraph themes, not 
so much to improve the work of the eighth grade 
as to overcome the “static,’’ quality of the work of 
this adolescent age. This may be done by the more 
conscious use of the model, by more direct work 
upon the mechanics of sentence and paragraph, and 
by the transition to the “long” composition. 

General Matters for Cultivation 

If the teacher would note and tabulate the speech 
errors of her pupils, she would find that, at their 
very worst, solecisms concern only a few verb agree¬ 
ments, misuse of a few adjectives and adverbs, 
and some cases of false syntax. More subtle mis¬ 
takes in grammatical relations would be reserved 
for future years to weed out or correct. She would 
also find, if she kept in touch with all the grades, 
that certain errors are more persistent than others; 
that some which bother a sixth grade teacher, will 
not bother a seventh grade teacher; but that on 
the other hand an eighth grade teacher may find 
seventh grade weeds outcropping. Hence the need 
of definite bounds to her work, of definite aims, of 
definite tabulations. A teacher should know what 
has teen done in previous grades , and what she her¬ 
self ought to do in her own grade to prepare for the 
next. There are certain bridges which she need 
never cross or worry about crossing. Nature and 
the next teacher will take care of these bridges. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


27 


Enunciation 

pronunciation 

articulation 


To enunciate distinctly, to pronounce correctly, 
to articulate clearly, are matters of cultivation. 
Since cultivation is a continued process, it stands to 
reason that each grade may be one of the units that 
will combine to make a perfect whole. 

Many causes contribute to make our spoken 
language slipshod: 


Causes 
of slipshod 
speech 


1. Our easy-going, good-natured way of accepting com¬ 
mon standards of speech and allowing ourselves to fall 
into the way of using the vernacular. 

2. The cosmopolitan character of our American cities, 
and our democratic habit of mingling with one another. 

3. The remoteness of our country districts from one 
another and from cities, with the corresponding tendency 
to fix provincialisms and make them an accepted part of 
familiar speech. 

4. Haste and a desire to be heard, with a consequent 
gliding over of consonants and allowing sentences and 
words to run into each other. 

5. The readiness of even the inattentive ear to catch 
sounds, with the corresponding readiness of the tongue to 
transmute the sounds into oral imitation. 

6. In some parts of our country, the great influx of 
foreigners with the reciprocal results of including one an¬ 
other’s peculiarities in the vernacular. 


Specific Specifically the teacher will find the following 

faults to he ^ J 

corrected faults to be corrected: 

1 . Words and sentences running into each other . In 
written work, spaces between words, periods between sen¬ 
tences, commas between parts of sentences, all help the 
reader. In oral work, on the other hand, there must be 
pauses, rhetorical or otherwise, if words are to be properly 
articulated. 

2. The gliding over or elimination of consonant sounds 
in the middle or at the end of such words as distinctly, 
government, February, going, quarter, immediately, gener¬ 
ally. Not to enunciate such words distinctly is to lead 
further to a misspelling of the words. 

3. Careless enunciation of vowel sounds, as for example, 


28 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


fer for for, wuz for was, tu for to, idear for idea, winder 
for ivindow, dooty for duty; or of consonants, as in othah 
for other, wid or ividg for with. 

4. Colloquialisms ; that is, certain flat or broad vowel 
sounds, rolling or omitting of r’s, nasal twangs, and tongue 
twists not found in the cultivated speech of a given 
locality. 

5. Provincialisms ; that is, certain sheltered usages, 
such as keow for cow, deou for do, sartain for certain, 
fellah for fellow, rud for road. 

6. Difficulties of foreigners. For example, 5 sounded 
like z in such words as cost, so, saw, say. S sharp, as wass 
for was. Ng in such words as singer, finger, where the ten¬ 
dency is to pronounce the words just the opposite of the 
way they ought to go. 

7. Dialects that persist in a given locality. 


The matter 
of spelling 


The spelling book and the spelling match are fast 
going down the back stairs of time, but it would be 
a great pity if nothing entered by the front door to 
take their place. In fact, something has come to 
take their place, and that something is called inten¬ 
sive spelling, the drill given to the spelling of com¬ 
mon every day words frequently misspelled. 

These misspellings fall into several classes: 


Classes of 
misspelled 
words 


1. Those caused by some catch in the word, as in prin¬ 
ciple and principal, weather, foreign. 

2. Those caused by faulty pronunciation, as in quarter, 
government, length, surprise, studying, library, really, prob¬ 
ably, whether. 

3. Those which have troublesome prefixes; as, appear, 
disappear, describe, disease. 

4. Those which require a rule for forming syllables; as 
shining and shinning, offered and preferred, beginning, 
chimneys, ladies, sincerely, excitement. 

5. Those words in al, like almost, all right. 

6. Those caused by peculiarities of our language like 
the ar, er, or endings; sounds as in badge and tragedy. 


How to 
overcome 
the difficulty 


The pupil may be led to see that there is usually 
only one difficulty in the word. He may be reasoned 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


29 


The matter 
of grammar 


Reactions 
upon the 
speech 


How 

conscious 
guidance 
and control 
may he 
obtained 


with about that difficulty, but good old-fashioned 
drill is also a necessary mode of procedure. The 
pupil may learn by seeing the correct form, by hear¬ 
ing the correct sound, by conning the word over and 
over, by using his reason — whichever one of these 
ways is his peculiar way of learning to spell. It will 
usually be found, however, that all four ways are 
valuable. 

Games and contests are a means to the end of get¬ 
ting good spelling. Lessons in intensive spelling 
will be found in Book One, pp. 204-221, and Book 
Two, pp. 151-176. 

Opinion as to the amount of grammar that should 
be taught in the grades varies. There are those who 
argue that no technical grammar should be taught, 
and those who urge the teaching of much gram¬ 
mar, in the grades. Until the time comes when some 
wise and commanding leader shall determine to a 
devoted following just when and where and how 
much technical grammar shall be taught, we will 
take a middle course, and say that there is some 
need of instruction in grammar, but that there 
should be a limit to the amount taught. 

The study of formal grammar will make few 
reactions upon the speech of the pupils, though it 
will not be unusual to hear a ninth grade pupil, in 
criticizing, say, for example, “The preposition with 
should have been followed by the objective case.” 
Furthermore, in the attempt to overcome persistent 
errors, in later years, the rule will be a mightily 
convenient and safe remedy. Generally speaking, 
however, conscious guidance and control of expres¬ 
sion will be obtained in more intimate and human 
ways than by the study of formal grammar. Com- 


30 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Seventh 

grade 


Eighth 

grade 


bined with the study of formal grammar in Junior 
English will be found, accordingly, all sorts of devices 
for helping to overcome speech errors — games, 
contests, “conversations,” etc. But stimulated en¬ 
deavor, emulation, the spur of utility, will be the 
real means by which conscious guidance and control 
will be given to grammatical expression. 

The excerpts given below, taken from Bulletin 
No. 10 (1917) of the Massachusetts Board of Educa¬ 
tion, will serve as a guide for the course of study in 
technical grammar for the seventh, eighth, and ninth 
grades. The exercises given in Junior English are 
based upon that report. 

It is assumed that some knowledge of simple- 
sentence structure has been given in the sixth grade. 
The following should be taught in the seventh grade: 

(a) The sentence as made up of subject and predicate— 
with or without modifiers—connectives, direct object, predi¬ 
cate noun or predicate adjective. 

(&) The sentence as declarative, interrogative, or im¬ 
perative 

(c) The subject as a word, a phrase, or a clause (the 
phrase being a group element not containing a subject and 
a predicate, the clause containing both). 

( d ) The subject as simple or modified; single or com¬ 
pound. 

(e) The parts of speech recognized by chief function 
of each; nouns as common and proper; inflection of nouns 
and personal pronouns; the idea of tense. 

Note: Verbs are not to be classified or conjugated. 
Verbals are to be considered nouns or adjectives or adverbs, 
as the case may be; adjectives and adverbs are not to be 
classified or compared. In correcting errors in grammar in 
written work insist upon the application of such principles 
as are known; otherwise merely supply the correct form. 

The following topics in grammar should be taught 
in the eighth grade: 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


31 


Ninth 

grade 


The matter 
of punctua¬ 
tion 


The matter 
of vocabu¬ 
lary 


(a) The sentence as simple, complex, or compound; 
principal and subordinate clauses; connectives of subordi¬ 
nate clauses; types of conjunctions connecting independent 
clauses in compound sentences; elliptical sentences. 

(b) The parts of speech; classes, forms, and uses of 
pronouns; the idea of person, number, and voice of verbs 
developed (paradigms of indicative mode built up by way 
of illustration); subordinating and coordinating conjunc¬ 
tions; interjections. 

Following is an outline for the ninth grade: 

(a) The sentence: Word order; agreement; variations 
by condensation of clauses or expansion of verbals and of 
phrases; essential and nonessential clauses. 

(b) The parts of speech: Various uses of nouns; sub¬ 
stitutes for nouns; modes of the verb (indicative, imper¬ 
ative, and subjunctive); verb phrases; parts of trouble¬ 
some verbs; building paradigms; uses of infinitives and 
participles; words used now as one part of speech, now as 
another; expletives. 

The proper punctuation of a piece of composition 
is largely a matter of utility. Pupils will observe 
how marks of punctuation are used in the books they 
read, and use them unconsciously in their own writ¬ 
ten work. Only a few marks are matters of absolute 
law, such as, for instance, the period at the end of 
sentences, and quotation marks around a direct quo¬ 
tation. The use of these and of others the teacher 
may insist upon as her work needs it, and she may 
suggest others. 

Rules which may be used for reference will be 
found Book One, pp. 221-224, and Book Two, pp. 
177-182. 

A child’s vocabulary grows from the need of 
expressing his wants, from hearing the vocabulary 
of the people with whom he comes in contact, and 
from his reading. Three tendencies will be found, 


32 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Faults 


How to get 
a working 
vocabulary 


Rule 


The ma tter 
of letter¬ 
writing 


The growth 
of ideas 
and their 
expression 


by the observant teacher, in the vocabulary of all 
children, especially of those outside a cultured 
environment: 

1. The use of general words instead of specific words. 
Everything will be large or small , pretty or beautiful, many 
or several or soon. 

2. A static quality, particularly noticeable in the ninth 
grade, where we begin to feel that we can no longer excuse 
a weak vocabulary on the ground that such words are all 
that can be expected of a child. 

3. A tendency, the minute you try to enlarge the vocabu¬ 
lary, to use “fine” language. 

Suggestions in the use of a general vocabulary, 
the pointing out of forceful or specific words in 
models, filling blanks in sentences from a selected 
list of words, are all helps in the work of gaining a 
working vocabulary. 

In the ninth grade, the need of restraint may be 
more keenly felt than in the previous grades. This 
need should be met. A good rule to follow in get¬ 
ting restraint is the following: 

Never use a word merely for the sake of the word; 
use it to express the idea specifically or adequately. 

The need in letter-writing as an art to be taught 
in the schools is the need of proper motivation. The 
basis of all writing, of course, is composition, the 
principles of which must be thoroughly understood 
in order to write a letter. If a child, for instance, 
is able to write a composition of three sentences he 
ought to be able to write a letter of three sentences. 
The growth of the letter would be simultaneous with 
the growth of ideas and the power of expressing 
those ideas. Given something to write about, a de¬ 
sire for expression, and a reciprocal demand for the 
exchange of letters, and the letter will follow. In 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


33 


The 

mechanics of 
letter-writing 


Transmitting 
the letter 


Book One 


Book Two 


Coordination 


A properly 
motivated 
and social¬ 
ized school 


other words, motivation and cultivation are the 
means to the end. Necessity is the real mother of 
invention in this gentlest of all arts, the art of letter¬ 
writing. 

The mechanics of letter-writing, especially in the 
writing of business letters, will be a special matter 
of cultivation. Here the model will be found to be 
invaluable. Transmitting a letter to paper is a real 
difficulty, only constant practice in doing which will 
gain desired results. Children, and indeed elders 
often, have little sense of space relation. Constant 
practice in mere copying of letters on various-sized 
paper, with the distinctions properly made in trans¬ 
mitting the familiar and the business letter, will 
be as much a part of the work of teaching letter¬ 
writing as will be the matter of the principles of 
composition. 

An Analysis of Junior English 

Junior English is a two-book series. Book One 
is divided into two parts, Part I being intended for 
use in the seventh grade and Part II in the eighth 
grade. Book Two is intended for use in the ninth 
grade. Each Part of Book One, and likewise Book 
Two, consists of progressive work in composition, oral 
and written, enunciation, spelling, and grammar, 
these four lines to be coordinated as indicated below. 
Both volumes contain, in an appendix, certain supple¬ 
mentary matter for use of teacher and pupil. 

It should be held in mind that in a properly moti¬ 
vated school no textbook could consistently supply 
actual work for a two hundred days’ program. The 
textbook can only offer suggestions, and sample exer- 


34 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


Importance 
of a compre¬ 
hensive view 
of the work 


Not to be 
taught page 
by page 


Theory of 

week-unit 

program 


cises. Nevertheless it is felt that in these books there 
is offered plenty of work for the three grades in any 
school. 

The teacher is strongly urged to read both Book 
One and Book Two clear through to the end of each, 
in order, first, that she may have a comprehensive 
view of the work to be done in all three grades; and 
second, that she may rightly fit together the various 
parts of the book. It would be maddening, for in¬ 
stance, to go on for months struggling against the 
misspelling of words in ie and ei and then learn that 
there were available all the time helpful exercises for 
overcoming this fault (Book One, p. 209, and Book 
Two, p. 167). 

How to Use Junior English 

Junior English is not to be taught page by page, 
but in units of assignment that will vary in arrange¬ 
ment with the particular class. The work is to be so 
correlated that some part of each division shall be 
used each week. 

For example: We will say that during the first 
week of the year the teacher, in order to get ac¬ 
quainted with her class, has been having oral and 
written themes, as outlined for seventh grade in Book 
One, p. 5 ff., for eighth grade, p. 93 ff., and for ninth 
grade in Book Two, p. 3 ff. During this week she will 
observe that certain common words are being mis¬ 
spelled, and that in oral work the enunciation is often 
not distinct. She knows that unless something is done 
these faults will persist throughout the year. She 
will therefore make out a program for the ensuing 
week as.follows: 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


35 


Suggestive 

week-unit 

program 

Monday, 

(Tuesday), 

Wednesday 


(Thursday), 

Friday 


Week-unit 
program 
should be 
flexible 


Pendulum 
swing from 
inspiration 
to habit¬ 
building 


Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (or Monday, 
Wednesday of a three-day week) : Oral and written 
themes, the oral always preceding the written. At 
the beginning of each period, a few minutes drill in 
enunciation and spelling, as provided in each Part 
of Book One and in Book Two. 

Thursday, Friday (or Friday only in a three-day 
week) : Grammar, as provided in each Part of Book 
One and in Book Two. 

Note also the work provided in the appendix of each 
volume to supplement the work of the day or the term. 
Letter-writing should not be undertaken until the last 
quarter of the year. The rules for punctuation and cap¬ 
italization should be introduced incidentally throughout 
the year, as need arises. 

The program outlined above will be the regular 
week-unit program. But it is not absolute. A class 
may require a full week upon oral and written themes 
before a responsive interest has aroused the language 
conscience to the point that drill on technique will be 
effective. Again there may be a white heat of in¬ 
terest that will enable the teacher to give a week or 
more to technical matters. If so, the teacher should 
seize the golden opportunity to teach correctness and 
to form habit. Above all, the teacher should be keen 
to watch these units of assignment that the work may 
leave a definite and permanent imprint. 

The pendulum that measures the progress in Eng¬ 
lish should swing in successive units of assignment 
from inspiration to habit-building. For this the unit 
of a week’s work will be found most effective. The 
interest will be aroused on Monday and will be di¬ 
rected to the final Friday, when habit-building will be 
at its highest pitch. Each week will become a unit 


36 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


of progress. Each week the teacher will earn the right to drill 
the class upon certain fundamentals of English. There will be 
thus, as in no other way, a week by week development that will 
never lose momentum and that will result in a progressive pro¬ 
gram of accomplishment throughout the entire course in English. 

Briefly summarized, the efficient use of this book would re¬ 
quire : 

I. Abstractly: 

1. That the teacher be the power behind the throne; 

2. That she train the pupil in the conscious guidance and 

control of his thinking processes— 

(a) By making him recognize inspirationally that the 

word, either spoken or written must represent 
an idea; 

(b) By making him feel that if he wants to get along 

in the world, he must have ideas to express ; and 

(c) By giving him the power to express his ideas 

clearly and forcibly. 

II. Concretely: 

1. That the work of the pupils be properly motivated; 

2. That the recitation periods be properly socialized; 

3. That the growth and use of ideas thus motivated and 

socialized be developed — 

(a) By means of imitation; and 

(b) By means of instruction directly or indirectly 

administered. 

4. That proper stress be placed upon the spoken theme. 

Slogan 

No impression without expression. 


FAULTS TO BE AVOIDED 


Following is a tabulated list of faults in the oral and written 
work, taken from a set of test compositions, given early in the 
ninth year. Some of the faults were late developments, but 
many of them were survivals of early usages. The most diffi¬ 
cult thing in the world is to get spontaneous, free expression 
and at the same time to avoid loose and awkward phrasing. 
Methods likely to result in self-consciousness should be avoided, 
and yet corrective work should be undertaken. 

Suggestive exercises to be used in helping to overcome these 
faults will be found in Book One, pp. 75-87, 181-192, Book Two, 
pp. 110-132. 


Tabulated faults 

Theme Content 

Lack of aim in presentation, especially in oral themes; obvious 
details given with little attempt to amplify them for the pur¬ 
pose of presenting a picture in description, of making the 
story interesting in narration, of explaining fully and clearly 
in exposition; the subjects often broad or remote, and when 
specific not developed to their logical conclusion. 

Spelling in written themes 

Words in dis- and mis-. 

Words doubling the final consonant. 

Words with ei and ie pronounced like long e. 

Words ending in e on adding another syllable. 

Their and there; to and too; its and it’s; quite and quiet. 
Adverbs in -ly, especially after adjectives in l. 

Other words found among the so-called “spelling demons”: 
as, quarter, stretch, business, until, whose. 

New words misspelled; that is, words which the pupils have 

37 


38 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


adopted to fit their growing ideas, and which should have been 
looked up in the dictionary or studied from texts. 

Capitals omitted in proper nouns, especially in Indian; also 
in proper adjectives, especially in English; in river and street 
when these are used in combination, e. g. Haverhill Street, 
Merrimac River. 

Punctuation 

Omission of apostrophe to denote possessive case, especially in 
such common forms as the day’s work, one’s pleasures. 

Omission of apostrophe in such contractions as it’s , don’t, 
can’t. 

Omission of comma before the and or the or in the last mem¬ 
ber of a series. 

Omission of comma before the conjunction hut when connect¬ 
ing clauses of compound sentences. 

Omission of comma in such explanatory clauses as the follow¬ 
ing: 

My youngest brother, who is five years old, goes to school. 

My only brother, who is about ten years old, leads an easy life 
of it. 

I sat down by the fire, which was almost out. 

The driver, who had not had much experience, drove into the post. 


Paragraph and Sentence Construction 

Bad beginnings , actual examples of which are as follows: 

One day last week three boys and I went coasting. 

Last Wednesday night my friend and I went coasting on Humpty 
Dumpty Hill. 

The other day we decided to go coasting. 

Last night three girls and I went coasting. 

Every night after supper I enjoy a lively coast. 

One afternoon some friends and I decided to go coasting. 

One day last week as I didn’t have anything to do, I decided to go 
coasting. 

One clear cold day when the sun shone brightly, etc., I decided to 
go out with my sled. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


39 


The subject of the themes of which the above sentence were 
the beginning was A lively coast. Lively is obviously the word 
to be developed, and quite as obviously no emphasis had been 
placed upon it. 

Following are other examples of false beginnings: 

The other day while out on a double runner, we thought we would 
have a race with another sled. (Subject: An exciting race.) 

I awoke one morning and to my great disgust, etc. (Subject: 
A gray day.) 

While on my way to school the other morning I saw many slippery 
sidewalks. (Subject: A slippery sidewalk.) 

There is an exciting ski jump on Tower Hill. (Subject: An ex - 
citing jump.) 

As I was going along Haverhill Street I saw a peculiar sight. 
(Subject: A peculiar sight.) 

It is exceedingly interesting to watch how a snow storm begins. 
(Subject: How a snow storm begins.) 

Slippery sidewalks are a very dangerous thing in the community. 
(Subject: A slippery sidewalk.) 

On Haverhill Street are many slippery sidewalks. (Subject: A 
slippery sidewalk.) 

On the way home from school last night with my mother, I saw 
a man fall. (Subject: A laughable incident.) 

One evening when the sun was set and the stars were out, as I 
was going along Broadway, I witnessed a funny incident. (The inci¬ 
dent in the composition proved to be unusual rather than funny.) 

Loose Participial Constructions: 

They laughed at me telling me the joke they had just played. 

The last sled slued turning me into the snow. 

These snowflakes thicken as they fall, covering the earth with a 
silver mantle. (The comma is thrust in to save the situation.) 

On the hillside the snow lay hard and smooth making an ideal 
place for skiing. 

She pushed the sled off breaking her leg. 

Neptune became angry and waved his trident over his former 
favorite turning her into a stone image. 

May fell bringing me down with her. 

I started the cake putting in everything but the flour. 

We proceeded down the hill going very fast. 

When a storm begins the sky becomes dark gray looking very heavy. 


40 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


First read the problem to understand its meaning reasoning each 
part as you go. 

At last I started walking slowly. 

Yesterday I went out on the piazza cracking nuts intending to 
give them to the birds. 

My new sled has double bars at the top making it easier to steer. 

On Saturday morning I am not quite as fortunate as some people 
being allowed to stay in bed. 

Luxuriant hop vines clambered up the lightning rods and the 
water spouts, hanging their delicate clusters here and there in grace¬ 
ful profusion. 

The vivid flashes of lightning illumined the sky changing the 
curtain of blue to low arches of silver gray. 

The cart being heavy dragged him down causing him to slip. 

I went to bed very late causing me to sleep over in the morning. 

Going to a hill called Sunset Avenue I met a friend and asked 
him to go coasting with me. 

Coming to school this morning were many slippery sidewalks. 

Looking out of the window I saw some birds hopping about. 

Going along the street I witnessed a peculiar accident. 

Getting in a rut the sled went over and over and we slid a few 
yards getting very wet. 

Walking from school the other day I heard a peculiar conversation. 

Sitting by the log fireplace at twilight I dream, etc. 

Coming to school this morning I saw a snow slide. 

Looking down the valley you can distinguish farm houses, etc. 

Coming up the hill the small children would gather around the 
sled admiring it. 

Running around the corner to get my goal I ran into my opponent. 

Turning a bend in the road we soon came in sight of the camp. 

Going out of the shop he saw a queer sight. 

Collecting a lot of leaves, he climbed upon the roof making as little 
noise as possible. 

Entering the cabin he noticed that the furniture was in confusion. 

Which clauses badly used: 

The water had fallen down from the roof and frozen which made 
it clean ice. 

I steered into a snow drift which caused us all to go into the snow 
head first. 

The sled ran over a rock which threw the sled over an embankment. 

One sled after another came down the embankment which made 
us get out of the way. 

Another thought came to my mind which was to run away. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 41 

She took a quick turn which made the back sled turn over and 
knock us off. 

The hill is very steep which adds to the excitement of the coast. 
One day last week I had a nightmare which had never happened 
to me before. 

My favorite pastime is painting which occupies most of my leisure. 
The canoe struck against a log which turned it over. 

One may enjoy rowing there which is my favorite sport. 

The streets look barren and deserted which helps us to know a 
storm is coming. 

Omission of that: 

The flakes come down so fast it is impossible to see through them. 
It was while coasting the incident occurred. 

I wish I were only six years old so I could lead the easy life my 
brother does. 

He looked so queer I began to laugh. 

When the sky looks gray, etc., you can tell a snowstorm is ap¬ 
proaching. 

One morning I noticed the slippery sidewalks had not been sanded. 
I wish he were a little bigger so he could get what he wanted. 

We knew the only thing for us to do was to go. 

I could now show my friends I had caught some fish. 

I thought this was a very bad accident. 

Misuse of past for past perfect tense: 

We were not walking long when we noticed that the houses were 
becoming fewer. 

After we had a few more such tosses we went home. 

Lately I noticed that if I am late getting up I will find the birds 
waiting for me. / 

He wasn’t on the slippery sidewalk long before he fell. 

It was no laughing matter for I hurt myself. 

It was put there to frighten my cousin who always predicted that 
nothing could frighten him. 

When I crossed the brook and was starting to walk home I heard 
a rustling in the brook. 

The boys seeing what happened fled in all directions. 

Floral Hill is one of the liveliest coasts I ever witnessed. 

Bad use or overuse of the word started : 

About two months ago I started feeding the birds. 

When I started to do my algebra example, etc. 

I started to go. 


42 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


I started rowing. 

I started to laugh and down I went. 

He started to eat the apple. 

I started a mallet Monday and finished it Tuesday. 

Then started the work of climbing the hill. 

When I first started it I thought I should never finish it. 

The horse started to kick and cut himself severely. 

Tiny flakes of snow started falling. Presently they started fall¬ 
ing faster and faster. 

He started to show me how to do it and presently I could do it 
without his help. 

At last I started walking slowly. 

Frequent use of very, soon : 

Very dangerous, very slippery, very much, very sorry, very pretty, 
very large, etc., etc. 

The solidly packed ice was very good for skating. 

A coast which is very popular with the children. 

Soon we came to the house. 

Soon I saw a boy, etc. 

Soon a little brown squirrel appeared. 

Soon we decided that each should slide down the hill backwards. 
Soon we went speeding over the hills. 

Soon we came out of the woods. 

Soon the city department had some one at work. 

After riding a little while, we soon came to the pond. 

Misuse of quite : 

Quite a distance. Quite a little. Quite large. 

Quite a while. Quite a contrast. Quite a lot. 

Quite sorry. Quite small. Quite a bit. 

Concluding tag to 'paragraphs: 

I find coasting a great pleasure. 

On the whole I think it one of the liveliest coasts in Lawrence. 
Thus it is that my young brother passes his time. 

On the whole I think slippery sidewalks afford much pleasure to 
every one. 

You may be sure we ate a hearty meal after this lively coast. 
After our lively coast it was a very hungry crowd that, etc. 

A few coasts like this make us feel good and lively. 

This was certainly a lively coast. 

Altogether it was great fun watching these incidents and accidents. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


43 


We then went on our way, etc. 

Such was the queer creature that attracted my attention. 

On the whole he is my favorite character. 

I thought that this was a very bad accident. 

It was getting late so we started for home resolving to visit the 
camp again. 

Thus it may be seen, etc. 

Miscellaneous examples of vague or bad constructions and of 
words misused: 

Any place that I ask her to go she will willingly do so. 

It made it very pleasant coasting for the children. 

Every time you go over it it jounces you from your sled. 

At first it sprinkles but as it goes on it comes down heavier. 

Quite a few afternoons I have not many lessons to learn. 

A tadpole is a little fish-like creature, etc. They stay in the weeds 
as much as possible 

My brother said, “Look out because the sidewalk is icy.” 

Take some lettuce leaves and put them on a plate. 

Take some flour and stir it into the mixture. 

Take some kindling and lay it on the shavings. 

The hill is very good for a good double-runner because it is very 
steep. 

If one should fall they might break a limb. 

The slippery sidewalks are the scenes of many accidents as the 
children are tempted by the smooth ice. 

It was a dangerous place as the cars passed there. 

Children are seen running to and fro. 

Sleds are seen going down the hill. 

The wind can be heard howling in the chimney. 

A bird could be seen on the tree. 

A man can be seen cutting a tree. 

A large train, a large crowd, a large tree, a large house, a large 
hill, a large dog, a large ruler, a nearby field, a nearby house. 

I am going to try and correct this fault. 

I will try and see if I can do it. 

I brought the dog over to her. 

Miss Flynn brought my book to the office. 

Only for a few of us we would have been lost. 

Only for me there would have been no picnic. 

One must watch their step. 

One after another expressed their ideas. 

If every one would clear their sidewalks after a storm, etc. 

As one is going by a hill on a frosty morning they will see many 
sleds, etc. 


44 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


One of the greatest dangers are, etc. 

One of the funniest sights are, etc. 

He should of gone. 

He should of done it. 

The ice on the sidewalks make them slippery. 

A double-runner filled with boys and girls go down the hill. 

All the boys were thrown in different directions. 

The only time she is good is when she is paid, and then I get 
some of it. 

Any place she goes she takes me. 

When I speak of going any place she tells me that I am too small. 
My brother is younger than her. 

She is older than me. 

We found where a lark had built his nest in the field of corn which 
was soon hidden by the waving stalks. 

I often find it difficult to reach there on time. 

A horse and team were slowly going up the hill. 

A horse and team was seen running away. 

In back of the house was an orchard. 

Something in back of the boys attracted my attention. 

In back of the trees one can see the sky line. 

I heard a noise in back of me. 

I did not expect to see a squirrel this time of the year. 

I perceived something which at first glance looked like a ball of 
fur but on closer examination it proved to be a kitten. 

There were tents set aside for the telling of fortunes. 

There are many different methods of advertising. 

There were several canoes approaching the shore. 

There are many boats racing on the river. 

We reached the corner of White Street and a crowd of boys were 
assembled there. 

Frequent wrong usages: 

Come for came; run for ran; as for since, for, and because. 
Sentences beginning with there are, there is, so. 

Vague use of many, e. g. “Causing discomfort to many”; 
“This is a pleasure to many ” 

Sentences strung on, “and then” and “and so.” 


EXHIBITS TO ILLUSTRATE THE USE OF THE MODEL 


Following are a few exhibits presenting a number of dif¬ 
ferent models and themes based upon the models, done by 
ninth grade pupils, the purpose being to show how the pupil, 
while being helped by the model, used his own imagination 
in writing his theme, with an original result; and also to show 
the reaction of the model upon the pupil’s sentences. 

Before the themes were committed to paper, certain pre¬ 
liminary work had, of course, been done by teacher and pupil 
together; the model had been thoroughly studied, the subjects 
for themes had been motivated, the themes delivered orally 
and criticized by the class. 

Exhibit A 

MODEL 

“When you come suddenly upon the porcupine in his native haunts, 
he draws his head back and down, puts up his shield, trails his broad 
tail, and waddles slowly away. His shield is the sheaf of larger quills 
upon his back, which he opens and spreads out in circular form so 
that the whole body is quite hidden beneath it. The porcupine’s great 
chisel-like teeth, which are quite as formidable as those of the wood¬ 
chuck, he does not appear to use at all in his defence, but relies 
entirely upon his quills and when these fail him he is done for.” 

—Burroughs: Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers 

PUPILS’ THEMES 

1. THE SQUIRREL’S WISDOM 

When one unintentionally approaches a squirrel, he stiffens his 
tail, hunches his back, and straightway makes for the nearest tree. 
His small sharp eyes scarcely ever let anything which might endanger 
the life of the little animal pass by without his seeing it. The 
squirrel’s small teeth, which are much like those of the porcupine 
except for size, he uses only for the cracking of nuts, but depends 
wholly upon his nimble feet, for, if anything should happen to them 
the squirrel loses all hopes of freedom. 

45 


46 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


2. AN INDEPENDENT ONE 

If suddenly you should be confronted by a small, black and white 
animal which you knew to be the skunk, you probably would feel 
your hair rising and would furtively search for a way of escape. It 
is of no consequence how much courage you might have, you would 
not feel morally obliged to show it to the animal. His body is moder¬ 
ately elongated and arched backward; his tail is rather long and very 
bushy, and on the whole he impresses you with a feeling that he is 
quite able to take care of himself and shows no alarm or desire to 
flee as you yourself feel. I should not wish my worst enemy to be 
drawn into a conflict with one of them. It is said that he is in posses¬ 
sion of an arm more terrible than a six-shooter. 

3. HOW TO LAND A BASS 

When a person gets a bass on his hook, he may have great diffi¬ 
culty in landing it if great care is not taken. After getting the wily 
miscreant securely hooked, slowly wind him towards the surface. If 
he intends to put up a fight, put pole and line into the water and 
draw him slowly back and forth. This is called playing and is done 
to tire him. When the fish shows signs of exhaustion, carefully draw 
him in. At this point great caution should be used for the fish may 
jump off. Sometimes a fish plays “ ’possum” and many an elated 
fisherman has turned away with disgust as he saw his would-be prize 
flop into the water. 

4. HOW MORNING DAWNS UPON EARTH IN SPRING 

When one first looks out of his window at sunrise, in spring, the 
sky is hazy, the world appears to be deserted and enveloped in a 
cloud. As he watches more closely, the heavens become clear, it is 
tinted with crimson and gold, and old Sol awakens from his slumber. 
He smiles upon the earth, kisses the drooping flowers and blossoming 
trees, arouses the birds that in turn sing with such ecstasy that the 
whole world is like birdland. These songsters stir the people who, 
encouraged by their vivacity, become active, and the earth is now 
bustling and hurry-scurry. 

5. PECULIARITIES OF A SPARROW 

When anyone approaches a sparrow in an unexpected manner, the 
mother bird flaps her wings, draws her young ones under her plumage, 
and waits to defend herself. Her wings are the shield for the little 
birds, which she spreads out to protect them from all harm. The 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


47 


sparrow’s beak, which is almost as bad as some other birds’, she does 
not use to defend herself and her small sparrows against their enemies, 
but relies wholly upon her feet and wings and when they neglect to 
do their duty the birds are destroyed. 

6. THE TURKEY GOBBLER 

When you approach a turkey he lowers his head, utters a queer 
whirring noise, ruffles his feathers, and dashes towards you. His 
short curved bill serves as his main protection if you linger, for he 
bites severely. When he succeeds in his purpose of driving you 
from the barnyard he is the proudest of the animals, as he struts 
back to the barn with his fan-shaped tail uplifted. 

7. A DEER’S DEFENCE 

When one suddenly comes upon a deer in the woods or country 
before it gets the scent you can notice how rigid it stands, its ears 
stiff, its head erect, and its gentle brown eyes searching, while with 
one hoof it nervously stamps the ground. The finely shaped neck 
seems carved in stone it remains so motionless. A deer relies nearly 
entirely upon his speed, which surpasses that of all the animals of 
the woods. Sometimes, however, it depends on the very sharp antlers 
which give the deer a very fine and graceful appearance. 

8. HOW A SEED SPROUTS 

After a seed has been beneath the warm soil a few days, it begins 
to enlarge, then it bursts, and puts out a small sprout that struggles 
upward. The sprout is a small blade of light green, which slowly 
unfurls as it nears the sunlight. The seed’s many fine roots, which 
industriously burrow downward, do not seem to benefit the livelihood 
of the plant, but when these do fail the growth will perish. 

9. WHEN A CAT IS SUDDENLY MET BY A DOG 

When a cat is suddenly met by a dog she stares the dog straight 
in the eye, slowly arches her back until it resembles a camel’s hump, 
shoots her tail stick-like into the air, and tries to frighten the dog 
by spitting, or if this fails, by striking at him with her sharp claws. 
Frequently her spitting suffices to send dogs scurrying away. Her 
claws contain nails as sharp and clean as a new needle and as for¬ 
midable to a dog as a bear’s hug to a man. 


48 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


10. HOW A BEE APPEARS AT FIRST SIGHT 

When you come unawares In close proximity to a bee’s nest or 
hive, the little Insects come out of their home and with hums of 
warning and outspread wings warn the intruders of their danger. 
Perfect quiet is one’s only safety. The sharp cruel stings, which are 
near their tails, are always ready for action if interference by motion 
or touch is exercised. His feet, which are not unlike the beetle's, are 
sticky and clinging, and are of no use in defending himself. He 
relies, even though his life is usually lost, upon the use of his tiny 
lance. 


11. HOW A HEN DEFENDS HER CHICKENS 

When you come unexpectedly on a hen watching her chickens, she 
glances up with a start of surprise, spreads her wings more shelter- 
ingly over her brood, and clucks lustily. Her feathered wings serve 
as a shield for the young family. The hen is a domestic animal and 
does not usually rely upon her own weapons of defense, but cries for 
her master or mistress. If no human being is near by to protect 
these creatures and their chickens, they are then an exceedingly easy 
prey for their enemies. 

12. HOW A SNAKE ACTS WHEN DANGER IS THREATENED 

When a common grass snake becomes aware of one’s approach, he 
Immediately stops wriggling through the grass, lies as low down in 
it as possible, extends his thin neck out stiffly, and with his sharp, 
piercing eyes, looks in all directions for the enemy. A closer view of 
the snake shows one that his slippery back is made of hundreds of 
small but taut scales, which are his protection against ants and other 
insects. His bright red fangs, with which he attempts to frighten 
one, are not at all poisonous. He relies chiefly on making a get-away 
by silently gliding under the grass and hiding there, but if he is 
caught before doing so, he is helpless. 

13. THE CHARGE OF A BULL 

When you come upon a bull grazing in a field, he suddenly raises 
his head and glares at you. Planting his forefeet wide apart he lifts 
his head and bellows defiantly. As if to root you firmly to the ground 
with fear he lashes his tail and slowly moves his head, which is 
adorned with two very sharp horns, back and forth. Then with a 
final roar he makes a fierce charge at you and if some means of 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


49 

protection are not near by, you will become transformed into a person 
who looks as if he was trying to imitate a shooting star. 

14. WHAT A MAPLE TREE REALLY IS 

When one first sees a maple, he observes that the branches have 
dropped down, the twigs are swaying gently, small, red buds show 
themselves, and the whole tree is brimming with life. On closer 
inspection, however, he sees that the buds are circular in form, with 
projecting points. From these come tiny, yellowish-green leaves. Quite 
low on the trunk, branches spring out and upward. If one should 
pierce the bark, sap will flow out. This fluid is the very life of the 
tree, and runs through all parts of it from the large knotted trunk 
and gracefully curving branches, to the smallest wisp. When this is 
bled from it, the tree dies. 

15. HOW A ROSE BURSTS FORTH FROM A ROSEBUD 

When you first see a rosebud on the bush you can hardly imagine 
that it will be, a few months later, a lovely rose. Its shield from 
the cold is the green cap which it wears for such a long time. With 
the aid of the sun and frequent rains the little bud swells till It 
bursts out into a great blossom. The seeds of the rose, which are 
not unlike those of other blossoms, it does not appear to use at all, 
as new plants grow from the roots and not from the seeds of the rose. 

MODELS 

That near relative of the kingbird, the great crested fly-catcher, 
has one well known peculiarity: he appears never to consider his 
nest finished until it contains a cast-off snake-skin. My alert cor¬ 
respondent one day saw him eagerly catch up an onion skin and make 
off with it, either deceived by it or else thinking it a good substitute 
for the coveted material. 

—Burroughs: Locusts and Wild Honey—Sharp Eyes 

That sociablest of flowers, the little Housatonia, was very abun¬ 
dant. It is a flower that never lives alone, but which loves its own 
kind, and is always fond of dwelling with a great many friends and 
relatives around it. Sometimes you see a family of them covering a 
space no bigger than the palm of your hand; and sometimes a large 
community, whitening a whole tract of pasture, and all keeping one 
another in cheerful heart and life. 

—Hawthorne: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys 


50 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


PUPILS’ THEMES 

1. THE PECULIARITY OF THE WOODPECKER 

The noisiest of birds, the downy woodpecker, possesses a notice¬ 
able characteristic: he never considers his daily work finished until 
he has pecked at every tree along his path. One day while walking 
in the woods, I saw him busily engaged in pecking industriously at a 
tree, as though he expected it to open, and let him in. 

2. THE PECULIARITY OF THE BOBOLINK 

The merriest of all birds, the bobolink, has one striking character¬ 
istic. This most charming guest of summer can throw his voice until 
it seems like that of another bobolink far away, and bring it back 
again. One day, while roaming in the meadow, eager to notice some¬ 
thing that would amuse the eye, a clear, sweet note that seemed to 
come from a heart full of contentment, attracted my attention. I soon 
saw that it was a bobolink and it was with intense interest that I 
listened to his musical song which he sang with much variety. 

3. A PECULIARITY OF THE CATBIRD 

That near relative to the mocking bird, the catbird, has one marked 
peculiarity; he will mock the call of any other bird. One day while 
walking in the woods I heard a robin singing from the top of a tree. 
A few moments later I heard the same call, but it came from a 
different direction. I went to the place from where the sound had 
come and there I saw a catbird. 

4. A PECULIARITY OF A ROBIN 

That near relative of the oriole, the robin, has one noticeable 
peculiarity: the way he searches for worms. While walking through 
the Common a few days ago I noticed a robin on the lawn hunting 
for worms. He hopped along the ground for a short distance and 
suddenly put his head quite close to the ground to listen for the 
worm coming up through the ground. Then he would peck at the 
ground and pull out a good-sized worm. 

5. OLD GLORY 

The greatest of all flags, the American, has a thrilling history 
attached to it. It has faced the havoc of war and the battle’s con¬ 
fusion, and as yet, has never known defeat. It was born during the 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 51 

Revolution, but it sprang to full growth when the daring Confederates 
tried to tear it to shreds. 


6. THE HOUSE CAT 

That wonderful mouser, the ordinary female house cat, has a very 
homelike disposition, and seldom strays away, as the wandering tom¬ 
cat does. She is a cat that loves to play with children, and will not 
eat anything that does not look clean. Sometimes you see her sitting 
on her haunches watching a small mouse, which she is always sure 
to catch, that is out of her reach; and then again, you see her curled 
up taking a nap under the stove, her favorite sleeping place. 

7. THE PECULIARITY OF THE SILVERFISH 

The near relative of the goldfish, the silverfish or minnow, has one 
well recognized trait: that is, the nibbling of his kinsman’s tail. Hav¬ 
ing them in the same globe gave me ample chance to watch this. 
One day I observed the silverfish spitefully nibbling at the goldfish’s 
tail. I was obliged to separate the two fish, but the goldfish whose 
tail had been nibbled rapidly died. 

8. A PECULIARITY OF THE SQUIRREL 

The squirrel, an alert animal of the forest, has a rather queer 
peculiarity. He is very fond of apples, and is also very particular in 
his choice of one. One day while I was walking leisurely along a 
country road, I noticed a little gray squirrel in an orchard. He did 
not see me, so he scrambled up one of the nearest trees, perched him¬ 
self on a small limb, at the top of the tree, as that is the place where 
the best apples usually are, and sat down, ready to make his choice. 
It did not take him long to select his apple, a large red one which 
would attract any human being. He took a few bites out of it, and then 
threw it away. He then bit pieces out of other apples, until he had 
satisfied himself, destroying the apples. 

9. THE PECULIARITY OF THE NIGHTWALKER 

The near relative of the ground worm, the nightwalker, has one 
well known peculiarity: he never comes out of the ground at day¬ 
time, but stays out all night. I found this out one night when I 
decided to go fishing the next day. I went for some bait and I found 
many of these long, slimy animals out on the ground. These are 
hard to catch, because they are very fast, but they make good bait. 




52 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


10. THE BLUETTE 

The most common but gentlest of all flowers, the bluette, is very 
plentiful in the summer. It is a flower that never grows alone but in 
groups and is very sociable with other friends and relations. Many 
a time you find a cluster of them about the size of an ordinary saucer 
but oftener in larger families whitening whole fields. 

11. HOW A FERN DEVELOPS FROM ITS FIRST APPEARANCE 

ABOVE GROUND 

In the early spring, just after the fern has pushed its way up 
from the earth, its stem is covered with a woolly substance, and the 
tiny green shoots rolled into a hard ball at the top of the stem. The 
fronds being rolled up, give the fern the appearance of a bishop’s 
crosier. It is very odd-looking at this time and one can hardly believe 
it to be a fern at all. It does not take long for the tiny parts to 
expand and then it presents a very different aspect. The fronds have 
gradually unrolled, revealing the beautiful feathery leaves. The fern 
having no flowers relies entirely upon its leaves for people’s praises. 
They are so delicate that they seldom cease to arouse admiration, and 
are used by many as a means to beautify their homes. 

12. THE PECULIARITY OF OUR CAT 

Our cat, Tabby, has a most interesting peculiarity: he is extremely 
fond of a comfortable place. He never considers his afternoon finished 
until he has taken his accustomed nap. While watching him, one day, 
I saw him first walk around the house and then curl himself up on 
the rug before the fireplace, preparatory to going to sleep. 

MODEL 

I consulted several things in my situation which I found would be 
proper for me: first, air and fresh water; secondly, shelter from the 
heat of the sun; thirdly, security from ravenous creatures, whether 
men, or beasts; fourthly, a view of the sea, that if God sent any 
ship in sight, I might not lose any advantage for my deliverance, 
of which I was not willing to banish all expectations yet. I reached 
a proper place for this. I found a little plain on the side of a rising 
hill, whose front towards this little plain was steep as a house-side, 
so that nothing could come down upon me from the top. On the side 
of this rock there was a hollow place, worn a little way in, like the 
entrance or door of a cave; but there was not really any cave, or 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


53 


way into the rock at all. On the flat of the green just below this 
hollow place, I resolved to pitch my tent. This plain was not above 
a hundred yards broad, and about twice as long, and lay like a green 
before my door; and at the end of it, descended irregularly every 
way down into the low ground by the sea-side. It was on the N. 
W. W. side of the hill, so that it was sheltered from the heat every 
day, till it came to a W. and by S. sun, or thereabouts, which in those 
countries is near the setting. 

—Defoe: Robinson Crusoe 

PUPILS’ THEMES 

1. WHERE I CHOSE MY FISHING TRIP 

In planning for my fishing trip I first consulted several things 

which would be of value to me: first, a shady spot where perch 

would be likely to abound; secondly, a place unfrequented by other 
fishermen so that the fish would not be wary; thirdly, a shallow bottom 
where the anchor would hold; fourthly, a location clear of grass and 
lily pads which would catch the hook. I found a position which 

supplied these things in every particular. It was a shady nook which 

abounded in perch. The place was so difficult to reach that few fisher¬ 
men ever went there. The water was about six feet deep and the 
anchors easily held. Lastly, there was a space bare of grass where 
I could cast my line, but which was surrounded by lily pads in the 
shade of which the fish were lying in wait for food. 

2. WHERE I HELD MY PICNIC 

In selecting a site for my picnic I considered manifold things: 
first a place near the car line; second, security from the warmth of 
the sun; third, large rocks to sit on while consuming our lunch; 
fourth, a stream of water in which to wash our dishes. I found an 
appropriate spot for this. It was in a situation about five minutes’ 
walk from the car. Tall maple and pine trees overhead fulfilled our 
second requirement. Four large flat rocks were there as if some one 
had placed them for our exclusive benefit. A little stream of water, 
trickling along by our side, was the very thing we wanted. All our 
demands were then fulfilled and we settled ourselves for the picnic 
confident of spending an enjoyable afternoon. 

3. WHERE WE HELD OUR PICNIC 

Several things were necessary for the location of our picnic 
grounds, namely: flat rocks where we could eat our dinners; second, 


54 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


that it should be near the seashore, and a good view obtainable; third, 
it must be quiet. One of the group of girls said, “I suggest that we 
go to Nahant.” The next morning the lunches were packed and we 
rode to our picnic grounds. It was a decidedly beautiful and pic¬ 
turesque spot. This place answered all the requirements. We selected 
a high, flat rock on which we sat to eat our dinner. The foaming 
waters dashed violently against the foot of these enormous boulders. 
From here we could command an excellent view of the Spouting 
Horn and Egg Rock Lighthouse. It was very quiet because it was 
only in May and few people were on the shore. My friends affirmed 
that they never had a picnic at such an ideal place as Nahant. 

4. WHERE I BUILT MY SNOW FORT 

I deliberated many things regarding the situation of my snow 
fort: first, enough snow to build it and make ammunition; secondly, 
away from houses, so that in the midst of a snow fight the flying 
missiles would not break a window; next a cold, gloomy place where 
the sun could not melt the snow; fourthly, a location which would 
give me the advantage over the enemy. At last I discovered a suitable 
place for these requirements. I selected a lot of land in the midst of a 
setting of hills, the latter keeping the sun away. Habitation was suffi¬ 
ciently far away to allow freedom in throwing snow balls. At the north 
end of the circle of raised earth was a large rock, slightly elevated 
and projecting from the hill. Here I built my fort, which gave me 
the advantage of throwing down hill while my opponents had to 
throw up hill. Beside the fort between N. W. and W. was an entrance 
into the hill, where, when it snowed, the snow drifted, in that way 
having the material for ammunition close at hand. 

5. HOW THE REVOLUTION OF THE ATTIC PEOPLE 
WAS OVERCOME 

Three things were necessary to overcome the revolution of the 
Attic people: first, new laws must be made; secondly, the poor classes 
must be benefited by them; thirdly, the practice of securing debts 
should be prohibited. These requirements were fulfilled when the 
Athenians chose Solon for this responsible position. The constitution 
was reformed and many new laws were made. The Ecclesia, or Pop¬ 
ular Assembly, was opened to all classes save the Thetes, who were 
given the right to vote, but not to hold office. The magistrates were 
not only elected by the people, but were judged by them in case they 
did wrong. Solon prohibited the practice of securing debts and can¬ 
celled all the debts that the people already had. These were the 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


55 


most important economic reforms of Solon which were beneficent to 
the poor people of Attica and prevented the much-dreaded rebellion. 

6. WHERE WE HELD OUR PICNIC 

We considered several things in our situation which we knew 
would be necessary for us: first, a place not very far away, with a 
store in the vicinity; secondly, plenty of trees to shelter us from the 
sun; thirdly, wood with which to build a fire; fourthly, fresh drinking 
water. We reached a place with the necessary requirements. It 
was about two miles from where we started. About five minutes’ 
walk from the place brought us to a little store where we could make 
our purchases. On the north, south, and east sides of the picnic 
ground was a grove of pines. This sheltered us from the hot rays 
of sun which otherwise would have poured in upon us. Woodchoppers 
had recently been there, so we had plenty of wood. A farmhouse 
pump willingly gave its assistance by supplying us with water. 

7. HOW I MADE MY SEWING BOX 

I had been in need of a sewing box for some time, and concluded 
that it would improve my spare time by making one*. I jotted down 

on paper the things that would be necessary to carry out my plan; 

first a stiff pasteboard box to hold the material; secondly, a pin 
cushion; and thirdly, several small articles, which included a scissors 
bag, an emery bag, and a needle card. I found a box without much 

difficulty, and as the cover was not needed here, I cut out a strip 

and this served as the foundation for the needle case. I then went 
to my mother’s closet for some cloth. Here I found just what I 
wanted, a piece of blue and a piece of pink silk. I lined the box 
with blue, and padded it with cotton batting. The pin cushion I 
also made of blue silk. The three other articles I made of pink silk. 
I filled the emery bag with some emery I had found in an old work 
box. After covering the needle card with silk, and sticking in several 
needles, I found that the box was completed to my satisfaction. 

8. SELECTING A SUMMER CAMP 

I looked for four things when selecting a summer camp: first, a 
freshwater well near by; secondly, a pine grove; thirdly, salt water, 
because salt air is good for people who live at a distance from the 
sea, as we do; fourthly, a farmhouse, for everyone in the family likes 
fresh milk. Finally, I reached a delightful place which answered all 
these requirements. About fifty yards from the back door, there was 


56 


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an old-fashioned well, whose waters were as clear as crystal and very 
refreshing. On the right-hand side of the house, a short, narrow path 
terminated at a thickly set grove of lofty pine trees. At the front, 
natural stone stairs led to the bank of the stately New Meadows 
River, an estuary of the sea. A short walk brought one to the little 
white farmhouse, where I purchased the most delicious milk we 
ever had. 


9. PREPARING TO FISH THROUGH THE ICE 

We regarded many things in getting together our material for fish¬ 
ing through the ice: first, some minnows; secondly, a small strainer 
to break the skim ice that would form over the holes we would make; 
thirdly, a hatchet to cut holes in the ice; fourthly, a dozen traps. We 
secured the bait for a cent apiece. The strainer was borrowed from 
the pantry and the hatchet was easily obtained. The traps would 
have cost us ten cents each, but we made ours from the ribs of an old 
umbrella. With all these things we went out on Stillwater Pond. 
This sheet of water was not more than three-quarters of a mile long 
and about half as wide with many indentations and coves. The place 
we chose to cut the holes and set our traps was on the S. W. side of 
the pond. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon and the sun 
was in the setting—just the time for fishing. 

MODELS 

A CAUSEWAY 

A causeway is a way raised above the natural level of the ground 
by stones, timber, or earth, serving as a dry passage over wet or 
marshy ground. 


THE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY 

The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland is on the margin of a 
dissected lava plateau, whose cliffs descend boldly to the sea. The 
name is given because the lava beds are cracked or “jointed” so that 
their surface imitates an artificial pavement or “causeway.” 

—Davis: Physical Geography 

PUPILS’ THEMES 
I. 

A CANAL 

A canal is an artificial watercourse. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


57 


THE NORTH CANAL 

The north canal in Lawrence, extending from Broadway to the 
Spicket River, is an artificial watercourse with artificial banks, 
following the course of the Merrimac River, and used to furnish water 
power. The water is let in through gates and is conveyed into the 
mills to the large wheels and thence to the Merrimac by means of 
mill races. 


II. 

A GLEN 

A glen is a narrow valley or depression between hills. 

GLEN FOREST 

In the vicinity of Lawrence there is what is called Glen Forest. 
At a far distance it looks to be a densely settled wood, in fact so 
dense, that it seems impossible to pass through it. As you approach 
the glen you see a very deep depression between the hills. Beside it 
flows the Merrimac River and one can get a picturesque view of this 
glen and the peaceful flowing river at its side. 

The two models and the theme below are presented to show 
how the writer of the theme, a boy, used the opening sentence 
of the first model for his own beginning. While using many 
of the expressions of the second model, he succeeded in apply¬ 
ing them in an original manner, and to give a rather amusing 
parody of the second model. 


MODELS 


I know of nothing more calculated to make a man sick of this 
world than a stable yard on a rainy day. 


—Irving 


In this by-place of nature, there abode, in a remote period of 
American history, that is to say, some thirty years since, a worthy 
wight of the name of Ichabod Crane; who sojourned, or, as he 
expressed it, “tarried,” in Sleepy Hollow for the purpose of instruct¬ 
ing the children of the vicinity. He was a native of Connecticut; 


58 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


a State which supplies the Union with pioneers for the mind as well 
as for the forest, and sends forth yearly its legions of frontier woods¬ 
men and country schoolmasters. The cognomen of Crane was not 
inapplicable to his person. He was tall, but exceedingly lank, with 
narrow shoulders, long arms and legs, hands that dangled a mile out 
of his sleeves, feet that might have served for shovels, and his whole 
frame most loosely hung together. His head was small, and flat at 
top, with huge ears, large green glassy eyes, and a long snipe nose, 
so that it looked like a weather-cock, perched upon his spindle neck, 
to tell which way the wind blew. To see him striding along the profile 
of a hill on a windy day, with his clothes bagging and fluttering 
about him, one might have mistaken him for the genius of famine 
descending upon the earth, or some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield. 

—Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 


PUPILS’ THEME 

1. A BOOK CHARACTER 

I know of no book character that reminded me as much of Ichabod 
Crane as David Gamut, a character in James Fenimore Cooper’s story, 
“The Last of the Mohicans.” He was exceedingly tall and lank with 
very long arms and legs much like Ichabod. As he slouched along his 
big, clumsy feet showed even more prominently than his much-worn 
shabby, homespun clothes. His head was very large and an unusually 
small hat rested on the top. David, like Ichabod Crane, was a “master 
of the holy art of psalmody,” although he could do nothing else. No 
matter where he was at noonday, he would adjust to his long, red, 
homely nose a little pair of iron-rimmed nose glasses, open a small 
psalm book, and raise his loud, clear voice in praise to God. If the 
people of nowadays should see him going through a village, they 
might think it was a dummy belonging to a moving picture company. 
When he was a prisoner of the Hurons, they dared not torture him, 
for his gentle disposition, extreme awkwardness, and beautiful voice 
led them to believe he was some unearthly being sent to them by the 
evil spirit. 


Exhibit B 

The following excerpts were meant to be suggestive of ideas 
rather than models for imitation. Some of the pupils succeeded 
pretty well, however, in imitating the style. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


59 


MODELS 

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some 
few to be chewed and digested. 

—Bacon 

The book to read is the one which makes you think. 

—Dr. McCosh 

Read first the best books. The important thing for you is not 
how much you know, but the quality of what you know. 

—Erasmus 

Be sure, then, to read no mean books. Shun the spawn of the 
press or the gossip of the hour. Do not read what you shall learn, 
without asking, in the street and the train. Dr. Johnson said “he 
always went into stately shops”; and good travelers stop at the 
best hotels; for, though they cost more, they do not cost much more, 
and there is the good company and the best information. In like 
manner, the scholar knows that the famed books contain, first and 
last, the best thoughts and facts. Now and then, by rarest luck, in 
some foolish Grub Street is the gem we want. But in the best circles 
is the best information. If you should transfer the amount of your 
reading day by day from the newspaper to the standard authors—But 
who dare speak of such a thing? 

—Emerson: Books 


PUPILS’ THEMES 

1. WHY PEOPLE SHOULD READ THE BEST NEWSPAPERS 

Be very careful when selecting your newspaper reading. Avoid 
the space-filling news of the hour. Do not buy a paper to read what 
can be heard in the street cars or seen on the bulletin board. It 
has been said, “It is not the quantity of reading in a newspaper, but 
the quality.” Although good papers cost more, in the end they do 
not cost much more, for the reader’s store of knowledge is richer. 
Everybody knows that in the best newspapers is found the most sub¬ 
stantial news. Now and then by the best piece of luck, in some back 
column devoted to silly news, some valuable information is obtained. 
If you should transfer the amount of your reading from the back 
columns to the best parts of good newspapers, you would be well 
versed in the important events of the day. 

2. MY OPINION OF THE STANDARD AUTHORS 

Be careful to read only the books of the standard authors. Avoid 
the common everyday fiction and cheap novels. Emerson said. “We 


60 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


owe to books those general benefits which come from high intellectual 
action.” Educated people know that the books of the standard writers 
contain the most valuable information and facts, and are great helps 
in the upbuilding of our intellectual powers. As in the best company 
there is the best information, so in the books of renowned authors 
is the most excellent knowledge. If you should transfer the amount 
of your reading day by day from the sensational novels to the standard 
authors—But who dare suggest such a thing? 

3. A BOOK WHICH MAKES ONE THINK 

Be sure to read Oliver Twist, a story of a small boy in London, 
by Charles Dickens. A great deal of thought is inspired by this book, 
which is the correct kind to read. My father said he read Oliver 
Twist a number of years ago, but he frequently thought of many 
scenes in it, for, though this book costs more than others, excellent 
information is furnished by it. Students know that Oliver Twist con¬ 
tains the best thoughts and most accurate facts. One seldom finds 
such a charming story written by any one, except a standard author. 
However, Dickens, the author of Oliver Twist, was one of the greatest 
writers that ever lived. His books make one think hard, and Oliver 
Twist was one of his masterpieces. If you were to read Oliver Twist 
and works by other standard authors instead of newspapers and cheap 
novels—But how many would do such a thing? 

4. A FEW POINTS ON NEWSPAPERS 

By no means read newspapers that contain second-rate or purely 
sensational matter. Be sure to avoid the trash of the printing 
machine, or the idle chatter of the day’s unusual occurrences. Do 
not waste time by studying matter you may learn by observation in 
the course of a day’s work. My mother said, “Read the editorials and 
scientific truths in the dignified papers and place no confidence in 
the headlines, as they change as often as the wind.” In this way the 
mind is filled with good thoughts and not clogged with clinkers. 
There are some well-known newspapers that contain the writings of 
authors of note that are the result of lifelong study. Possibly in 
some cheap “sheet” an item worth its weight in gold as information 
might be found, but usually the best essays are in the best papers. If 
many who spend hours pouring over the daily papers would concen¬ 
trate to the same amount of time on a book by a reliable author, how 
much more the result would mean. Such an idea to the ordinary 
person would be an absurdity. 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


61 


5. THE NEWSPAPER AND ITS READER 

Do not give anything more than a reasonable time to the daily 
papers. Avoid the reading of mere gossip. Emerson tells us, that the 
scholar knows that the famed books contain, first and last, the best 
thoughts and facts. In like manner, the serious, conservative news¬ 
paper contains, nine out of ten times, the best thoughts and facts. 
Now and then, by rarest luck, in some sensational newspaper is the 
gem we seek. But, as a rule, the best and most truthful information 
is to be found in the conservative paper. If people should transfer 
their reading of the sensational to the good, reliable paper—But who 
dare speak of such a thing? 

6. STANDARD AUTHORS 

Caution yourself against reading works of low-standard authors. 
Decline the author who writes cheap novels and love stories. A friend 
of mine said she “always derived some good from reading a book by a 
standard author” and educated people read only this class; for, though 
some seem “dry,” by reading intelligently we obtain the qualified 
results. The scholar knows that among the famous authors is the 
most substantial matter and the best workmanship. Sometimes, by 
accident, in an unpopular author’s list, we find something worth read¬ 
ing. If girls and boys should transfer the reading from the low- 
standard authors to that of the standard ones—But how many would 
do such a thing? 


Exhibit C 

The two following themes are given to illustrate the results 
of the work in combining several paragraphs to form the 
“long” theme. They were written at the beginning of the 
tenth year: 


1. THE FORD CAR 

The quiet of a peaceful country road is broken by a terrible noise, 
a grinding of wheels as they roll along the sanded surface, a rattle 
of nuts and bolts, the puffing and wheezing of a hard-working engine, 
and the toot of a powerful horn. That is all! But immediately from 
the lips of every member of our little party break the two significant 
words, “A Ford.” The disturber of our peace is hidden from our 
sight by a bend in the road, but who could mistake the sounds for 


62 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


anything but a Ford? A few minutes later our optical nerves are 
disturbed by the sight of the car as it turns the road and bears down 
upon us. It would only be a waste of time, ink, and energy for me to 
endeavor to describe to you the lines of this car, for who is there in 
this broad land of ours who does not come across this most popular 
car, hundreds of times a day. It passes us in a cloud of dust, the 
driver proudly guiding it until it disappears from sight, and all that 
can be heard is the toot of its powerful horn. 

In order to treat this subject fairly it will be necessary to state 
the owner’s views. It was once said that the only man who could say 
anything about his car was the one who had to get out and get under. 
I have often become engaged in conversation with the owners of these 
cars and almost everyone has been enthusiastic and spoken of it fondly 
as “My car.” But this is always under favorable circumstances. One 
day while out walking in the country, I came across one of these 
knights of today stalled in the middle of the road. Projecting from 
underneath it was one pair of feet. Taking the role of the beneficent 
passer-by, I approached the unfortunate individual and asked some 
question concerning his situation. Immediately from underneath the 
car there came such a flow of superfluous language concerning myself, 
the auto, and the world in general, that I was shocked and proceeded 
on my journey. I warn you, therefore, never to approach the owner 
of a Ford car while in trouble, or you will regret the act. 

It would be unfair to the Ford Automobile Company, which would 
probably raise a protest, if I did not mention a few of the good things 
which I have got from its representatives. Once when I was many 
miles from home and with no means of reaching my destination except 
by walking, I was accosted by a kind Ford owner and offered a ride. 
I thought the matter over for an instant, but the distance looked too 
great for me to walk, and so I accepted the offer. We had actually 
proceeded down the road for almost a mile when the engine gave a 
grunt and a puff, and then stopped. After aiding the driver in his 
almost hopeless task of repairing the stricken engine, I left him to 
his fate and again entrusted myself to the road. There is one good 
thing which can be said about the Ford, and that is, it always picks 
out a good place in which to stall. I remember especially the time 
when, against the coaxings of its driver, the groans of its passenger, 
and the angry declamations of the “traffic cop,” the car in which 
I was riding saw fit to halt at the corner of Essex Street and Broad¬ 
way. If there be anyone who does not agree with me on my views 
of the Ford car, let him pass through the trials and troubles which 
I have encountered as a victim of its changeable moods, and then 
if he doesn’t agree with me, well, neither do I! 


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS 


63 


2. MY GARDEN IN ITS SEASONS 

My garden in summer lias at first a rather lonesome aspect. After 
all my labors of the preceding spring, my only reward seems to be a 
yard as clean as a whistle, and without a stone or weed to be seen 
anywhere. But as the days become warmer and warmer, small green 
plants will be seen having their first view of the outside world. As 
the time slowly passes, the plants begin to take form. Then fresh 
labors break forth again. The garden must have plenty of moisture, 
banks must be made on both sides of the growing corn, and hoops 
must be placed around the tomato plants, not forgetting the one hun¬ 
dred and one other petty labors of an inexperienced gardener, and a 
weed must not be seen in the garden unless it wishes to forfeit its 
life. It is in September when my garden looks like a real garden, and 
with everything in full bloom, I am rewarded for my labors during 
the spring. 

September has passed and October has taken its place. As much 
as I like to see the various vegetables growing in summer, I am not 
sad to see my garden in its present state. For by this time, each 
vegetable is in its ripest.form; and then come the few days of hustle 
and bustle. Everything must be harvested before the frosts set in. 
and to protect myself against this coming danger, I usually employ a 
small group of boys to help me. When all my products are safely 
harvested, a greater supply is stored away for future use. When 
the rest of the family are tasting the fruits of my labor I can easily 
imagine how my brothers will praise me and slap me on the back, 
calling me the best brother that anyone could have. But these were 
all imaginations, for when they actually did eat my vegetables, my 
imaginations were rudely shattered through and through, for I heard 
my young brother exclaim in a stage whisper, “It’s the ‘rottenest’ yet.” 
This meant I was not a success as a gardener, but I hope that the next 
time I become a “soldier of the soil,” I may be a little bit more suc¬ 
cessful. 

When the fresh rains and the warm suns of spring come, my garden 
looks more like a rubbish heap than a garden. This must be imme¬ 
diately cleaned, shortly followed by the digging up of the soil. This is 
no job for a boy who despises work, for not only do blisters grow 
magically on one’s hands, but one’s back is sure to hurt like “thunder,” 
after a day’s work. The next step is to plant the seeds, and woe to the 
person who does not plant his seeds the right depth. If the seeds are 
planted too deep nothing will come up; and if they are not planted 
deep enough, the seeds are sure to fall prey to hungry birds and run¬ 
away chickens. After the planting is done, one must hope for the 
best, for gardens sometimes play tricks which are not appreciated 


64 


JUNIOR ENGLISH 


by the owners. But if everything goes right, the gardener will be 
repaid for all his work and anxiety by a beautiful and profitable 
garden. 

It will be objected, perhaps, that the style of the two 
themes quoted above, is somewhat flamboyant. This is an 
Elizabethan tendency growing out of the age of the boys who 
wrote them, the overcoming of which is another story. The 
themes are given to show what may be expected at the begin¬ 
ning of the tenth grade, after such work as that previously 
outlined has been done. 

















































